Blame the dog
by Reflected Shadows
Summary: Cagalli Yula Hibiki has grown up fatherless giving her a subconscious dislike for men. When the only boys in her life that she loves are her dog and her brother, Kira, will Athrun Zala be able to change her mind? Or will the dog have to do all the work...
1. Chapter 1: In which I find myself on

**Hiya, so maybe some of you are reading or have checked out Tangled Fates, just to let you know, that this story is just something i'm doing in my extra time and won't be updated as quickly as Tangled Fates probably.**

**Also, I have never been to public school so we're going to see how well I can portray it ^_^**

**And Last of all: **

***Disclaimer I do not own Gundam Seed, nor do I own the poem below.**

**Like I said, I didn't write this poem. I don't know who did, but to whoever, thanks for inspiring me to write this story =)**

**The freshman girl- Oh so shy**

**Sits and watches the sophomore guy**

**The sophomore guy, head all in a whirl**

**Sits and watches the junior girl**

**The junior girl, in her red sedan,**

**Sits and admires the senior man**

**The senior man,**

**All hot and wild**

**Secretly loves**

**The freshman child**

Notes: Cagalli and Lacus are fifteen. Kira and Athrun are eighteen.

Sorry for all chapter failness...

Chapter 1 - In which I find myself on someone else's lawn.

Today was a marvelous day. The sky was a deep blue specked with lazy, fluffy clouds. It was at that perfect time between fall and summer when the plants are still green and thick, but the weather is pleasantly warm but neither humid nor hot. The sun gleamed down brightly from the sky, showering the world in warm kisses of light.

Well, as Mr. Rogers would say (Lord bless his soul) "It's a lovely day in the neighborhood."

Cagalli Yula let out a lengthy sigh of delight as rocked her self with one foot on her hammock. It was of course the last day before highschool but it wasn't like she was going to let that stop her from enjoying the last moments of freedom. The sun drenched her in that fuzzy warmth that made her want to curl up and float in a dream state.

"Hi there, Cagalli!"

Cagalli didn't bother opening her eyes but raised a hand in a limp, lazy wave to her approaching neighbor and friend.

"Lacuuuus." She slurred, sleepily.

"Don't make me dump you!" Her friend's voice was much closer this time as if the speaker was right next to Cagalli.

Cagalli cracked an eye open and glared at the blurry image of her friend. "You wouldn't dare!" she hissed.

"Watch me!" The hammock started violently swinging in a threatening manner and Cagalli gripped it tightly in fists, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Eep- fine- I give!" She sat up fast only to startle Lacus who dumped her painfully onto the ground. Cagalli landed with a gasp sharply on her back. "Ooouuucccch." She yelped, rubbing the middle of her spine, finding the promise of a bruise there.

"Sorry," Lacus tried to sound apologetic but after a moment a grin spread across her lips.

Cagalli sighed, unable to find the motivation to argue. "Whatcha waaant?" she whined, looking forelornly at her limply swinging hammock.

"I called but your mom said that you weren't answering the phone."

Cagalli snorted. "So of course you decide to come over."

Lacus nodded. "I wanted to know if you would come for a bike ride."

Cagalli opened her mouth only to hear her mom yell from the porch. "She would love to! Cagalli, take Chewie with you! She's been dying to go for a walk!"

Lacus laughed.

"Thanks mom," Cagalli rolled her eyes, standing up, her hands smacking the dirt off her knees. She tugged the curled hems of her shorts down slightly and straightened her shirt before sighing again. "Must we? I feel like this is my last chance to be lazy."

"Yeah, what a shame that is." Lacus rolled her eyes, pulling at Cagalli's hand.

Cagalli squeezed her eyes shut as if denying the moment then opened her gleaming amber eyes and let out a shrill whistle sound.

"WOOF!" A massive dark brown saint-bernard with drool hanging from it's lips leapt at the back door (the catch on the back door was already broken from previous attempts to get out), making it fling open as the dog charged towards Cagalli.

"Hey Chewie," Cagalli tucked one side of her hair behind her ear as she leaned down to plant a kiss on her dog's head. Chewie, or Chewbacca, sloppily kissed her on the cheek with his lolling pink tongue.

Lacus wrinkled her nose. "That's cute."

Cagalli laughed and winked at her friend, wiping at her cheek. "Do you want to go for a waaalk?" she asked Chewie who's tail was waving back and forth frantically like a flag of brown fur.

"Go! Go get your leash!" Cagalli continued in her puppy-voice and like a flash, Chewie charged back to the house, nudged the back door open with his fat black nose and disappeared.

"One of the few commands Chewie knows." Lacus snorted. "Food. Walk. Leash."

"Let's not forget 'Mailman'." Cagalli added and Lacus made a face.

"I was actually trying to repress the memory of that one."

Cagalli put on a faux face of tragedy. "Poor Robert was never the same again."

"My bike's out there with your bike. And there's your dog."

Chewie burst out from the house again, a damp leash trailing from his mouth.

"Oooh, who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" Cagalli ran her fingers through Chewie's thick soft fur, tugging the leash from his mouth. "You are!" she squealed, leaning over to attach the leash to his collar. She got a wet-face in return and she giggled, wiping off the dog saliva.

Lacus made a face. "Your chances with getting a boyfriend are currently slim."

Cagalli laughed and wrapped her arms around Chewie's thick neck, giving Lacus a pouty face. "I don't need a boyfriend! I have Chewie." She nuzzled her face into his coat of fur.

"You're just sick."

"And you're just jealous. Go find your own dog. Chewie is mine."

Lacus rolled her eyes and Cagalli grinned before straightening up. The two, pulled by an eager Chewie, made their way out to the front yard where two blue bikes stood.

Lacus hopped on to hers while Cagalli gave her dog a threatening look.

"Drag me off this bike and you're dead, you got it?" she growled at Chewie but as always, the severe words went in one ear and right out the fluffy other.

They started biking down the street, Chewie loping besides them, not pausing to sniff things though Cagalli kept an eye out for anything small or large that Chewie might decide was worth chasing. She didn't quite enjoy being dragged down the street. _The last thing I need before school starts is scrapes and bruises all over._

She and Lacus chattered as they biked, the sun warming their shoulders and nice breezes blowing their hair gently back.

An hour had passed when Lacus decided to stop by her house that was across the street from Cagalli's.

"I'll get us some water." She called out before letting the screen door swing shut behind her.

Cagalli nodded, sitting on her bike, her feet on either side propping it up.

Chewie was straining at his leash, not at all tired or exerted. His tongue hung from his mouth as he panted happily, his brown eyes shining.

"Sit!" Cagalli told him with no hope of him actually doing it.

Chewie cocked his head at her, his fluffy ears rising giving her the dog-impression of: _Did you say something?_

"Down!" Cagalli tried again.

Instead he hopped up to her and she jumped off her bike to avoid the brown blur that was speeding to her.

She landed on her butt, the bike crashing down in front of her and Chewie flopping on top looking like a giant furry bean-bag. "No! No jumping! Bad boy!" she snapped, shaking a finger at his face.

Most dogs at least understood when they were in trouble. Not Chewie. There was always an exception to every rule.

Chewie bounded about her, happily barking.

"Bug off! Jeezums, why are you so dang hyp-" but before Cagalli could finish her words as she stood up Chewie let out a huge WOOF and started running.

"What the-" the leash snapped taught around Cagalli's wrist and the next thing she new was that she was scrambling after Chewie who was dragging her down the street.

"Chewie! Stop!" she yelled, panicking slightly. She struggled to stop herself and pull Chewie to a halt but every attempt she nearly lost her balance and fell.

"Cheeeeeewwwieeee!"

Once again, the brown saint-bernard and the blonde-teenager made a daily debut as they did on most of their walks. Neighbors had often told her mom that she should try taking Chewie to obedience class but her mom had only shook her head ruefully and asked them if they wanted to train Chewie.

The answer was rather obvious and besides- there was an exception to every rule and Cagalli doubted that Chewie would…fit in at obedience school. "You stupid dunce!" she screamed at her maniac of a dog.

Chewie seemed to have found his destination though cuz he dragged her ruthlessly onto a neighbors yard, pass a 'for sale' sign that was staked into the thick green grass.

Cagalli tripped over a hose and fell onto the soft green grass with a shriek.

Luckily Chewie had stopped running and Cagalli groaned, sitting up straight, grass stuck in her hair. "I hate you." She told her dog but Chewie wasn't listening to her.

"Is that a dog or a small-pony?" asked a warm teasing male voice and Cagalli felt her face going red as she craned her head up.

She squinted at a figure that loomed over her, the sun blinding her. "Um, I'm Chewie." She said as she raised a hand to shade her eyes. "Er, I mean. That's Chewie."

The boy leaned down next to her, amusement sparkling in his emerald-green eyes. "Excuse me?" he asked politely and Cagalli felt herself flushing. Not only was she caught with grass stains, grass bits all over her making her look like a pine-tree with her dog in a new neighbor's yard but she had been caught by a handsome young man.

He had thick blue locks of hair that hung to his shoulder, glinting green eyes and a lean build, muscular but not overly-buff. He smirked at her, obviously on the verge of laughing, and Cagalli prayed furtively that the earth would swallow her up.

"Chewbacca, that's my dog. Well it's Kira, my brother's dog mostly." _Shut up already! _Her mind screamed at her as her mouth babbled on of it's own accord. "I'm so sorry, sir. I don't know what Chewie's problem is. He just suddenly took off and I'm so sorry!"

"Chewbacca?" The boy's gaze slid over to peer at the dog who was sniffing a smaller dog that Cagalli had just noticed.

The boy's gaze snapped back over to Cagalli's. "It's no problem. A dog is a dog. That's my dog by the way, Justice."

Taking a deep breath to help bolster her failing nerves, Cagalli stood up, combing bits of grass from her hair with her fingers. _Do I look like a scare crow? _She wondered to herself. _I guess it doesn't help the fact that I have no chest. _She looked down at her red shirt that lay rather flatly on her. Then she remembered where she was and her head snapped back up.

The boy however was watching the two dogs interact rather friendily with eachother and after a moment he said. "Justice, sit!"

Oooh, of course _his _dog sat for him.

Chewie, of course, bounded circles around the black lab, barking.

The boy didn't spare him either. "Sit, boy!" he commanded briskly and Cagalli flushed darker.

"That miiiight not wooork." She began to say only to gape as Chewbacca, the demon-possessed dog who could sleep through the end-of-the-world if needed, and could turn a deaf ear to any command…sat.

The boy grinned and leaned forward to pet Chewie as Cagalli simply stared.

_Luck… It was just luck. _She told her self, shooting Chewie death glares.

"Well, what is your name?" the boy asked, turning to face her again.

Feeling that her hair was- hopefully- clean of grass, Cagalli got to work on brushing off the rest of her body. "Cagalli, I live just over there." She made a vague wave in the direction of her house. She could see Lacus heading towards them then on her bike, her pink hair swinging in the breeze.

"I'm Athrun," the boy said. "I just moved in with my parents." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the 'for sale' house.

"Oh, a new neighbor." Cagalli blinked. "I didn't know someone had moved in."

"It was a fast move." Athrun said with a shrug and Cagalli felt stupid. She hadn't meant to say that all out loud.

"Cagaaalli!" Lacus called, skidding her bike to a stop, her gaze traveling over the pair of them on the lawn. Her eyes widened. "What…happened here?" she asked slowly, kicking the kick-stand of her bike down.

"Chewie is what happened." Cagalli growled and Athrun chuckled.

"This is Lacus," Cagalli added. "Lacus, this is Athrun, he just moved in."

"And I guess Chewie thought that now would be the correct time to form the welcome committee?" Lacus joked and Chewie barked.

_He's still sitting! That stupid mutt! _Cagalli gave her best look of betrayal to her dog.

Athrun who was watching her rather intently caught her strange glance at her dog. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing of it.

"So are you in college?" Cagalli asked, picking up Chewie's leash from the ground.

Athrun chuckled. "Nope, I'm still in highschool." He informed the blonde, feeling amused as she subtly tried to tug her huge dog upright.

"What highschool?" Lacus asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Archangel High."

"Oh! We're going there too!" Cagalli exclaimed, her eyes lighting up and her cheeks getting pink.

_She's sorta cute. _The thought popped into Athrun's head as his gaze flickered to Cagalli. The blonde, even with grass sticking out of her hair had a rather fiery look in her eyes, a huge grin on her face and her hands on her hips. He smiled. _I wonder if I'll see her in school… She has to be a junior at the least. Maybe she'll be in some of my classes…_

"Oh snap, it's dinner time." Cagalli said, checking her watch with a frown. She glanced up apologetically at Athrun. "Sorry, we gotta go." She pulled at the leash and Chewie let out a grumbling huff. "It's food! You like food!" she told her dog and Athrun snickered to see Chewie suddenly change tact and tackle Cagalli.

"Get off, you stupid dog!" the blonde yelled, scrambling up, Lacus openly laughing at her bright-red friend's face. Cagalli's amber eyes glanced at Athrun and she smiled timidly. "I'll see you later, I guess?"

Athrun grinned, nodding. "Certainly!"

Like a rocket, Chewie took off again, hauling his poor master along with him back to their house, Lacus biking behind them.

"He was nice." Lacus voiced aloud once they were walking across the lawn in front of Cagalli's house and Cagalli frowned.

"What?" Lacus asked.

"You're reading my mind and it's creepy."

Lacus rolled her eyes. "Well he was. I wonder if we'll get to know him well in school."

"I doubt it. A guy that good-looking? He'll probably get snapped up by Meer's crowd instantly."

"Thank you voice of optimism." Lacus said sarcastically.

"Holy crow! Did you see the car in their drive way?" Cagalli shook her head in awe. "Maybe I don't speak Car as well as Kira but I know the difference between a minivan and a Porsche."

"I guess it was his parents." Lacus shrugged, not seeing any issue with it. In fact, she was already planning her friend's love life, including a certain bluenette.

"I see that look on your face!"

"What?" Lacus yelped innocently as they walked into the Hibiki house-hold.

"You're plotting something that I won't like." Cagalli accused.

"Lies! You're just making that up."

_I sincerely doubt it, _Cagalli thought to herself, watching Lacus suspiciously.

"Woof!" said Chewie.

**So, how did that do for Chapter one? Yes? No? Or is it too soon to tell... ^_^ Well, review your thoughts and I'll be happy to no end. =)**

**Happy Readings!**

**Azetta**


	2. 2: In which the first day of school

**Sorry for taking so long on this. Sadly I already had almost this entire chapter written up for about a month and then I remembered it...**

**Anyway, just warning you guys, hopefully by the next time I update either this or Tangled Fates I will be... a black belt. My ten-hour test is this saturday and it's pass or fail- please, any prayers for me and my fellow Chonans (black belt candidates) would be greatly appreciated because we are going to need them. I'm scared stiff thinking about it now. I've done Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido for 8 years and this is one huge day for me, lol.**

**Also, the next thing that should be up is a one-shot on Kitalla's life so for those who love Kitalla from TF i hope you will check that out- and for those who aren't I still hope you will because there will be some major parts in her one shot that have a LOT to do with Cagalli and TF. **

**Now for my rather hasty replies =D**

**Cagallifan- I've been dying to get a huge dog and name it Chewie for a while so i took out my pent up longing on this fanfic. Besides, dogs are irresistible lol **

**IgNighted- Meer, typcasted once again... Lol, actually I don't have anything I against Meer. Flay pisses me off but Meer really never bothered me except for how she sorta was a ditz. Lol, i am planning more to Meer though then just that annoying jerk we all know in our life**

**empathaticsympatheticpathetic- No probs, feel free to steal the poem, it's what I did. Though...Cagalli isn't really a 'shy freshman' well have to make do *rolls eyes* though Athrun... we're going to do some image beefing with him, if it's possible we're going to amp him up till he's even more so hot and wild and the heart throb of the school for more then just a pretty face (though that's definitely part of it) **

**AsuCagaLover- can't remember where I found the poem, I collect these sorta things all the time, lol and yeah, i've never gone to school so i'm probably going to get quite a bit wrong in my chapters but we'll just have to make do- feel free to correct me if something doesn't seem right, lol =D**

**Kkornelia- thank you and i hope the rest of the chapters prove just as fun =)**

**Dazzling-Sachiko- I guess we'll have to wait and see how the poem proves relevant to story ;) **

**C.C- The truth is dogs are masterminding geniuses- they just hide that fact from us because we amuse them ;) Chewie is a Saintbernard and Justice is a black lab, retriever mix =) And i'm thrilled to hear that you love TF =D thank youuuu!**

**Mrs Zala- another story to add to the millions! hurrah! How one anime changes the world *shakes head* lol, i'm rewatching the anime and i've decided to myself that I love Kira's and Athrun's hair dos more in GSD then Gundam Seed. Cagalli's I like better from GS,... just saying... oh, that and I've also come to the conclusion that Kira is hot in GSD, LOL i'm such a dork. Why can't anime characters be real? *shakes head and laughs* **

**Darksilvercloud- thankyouu 3 Chewwieeee!**

**WritingKnightmare- we meet again! *evil laugh* ... hi lol I'll have to check out that thing you were talking about with Mr. Rogers (though i'm slightly afraid too... -.-) and wait,,, why would being OFF pain meds make you hyper, isn't it supposed to be the other way around O.o lol Actually, i'm not really friends with any public schoolers mainly cuz i don't any public schoolers, like not kidding i don't know any public schoolers in my town- it's so sad and pathetic...I live a lonely life,,, just me, my phone, my computer, my fridge,,,, my dogs... lol**

**THANKS EVERYONE =D**

***Disclaimer- I don't own Gundam Seed**

**Note- Orb, Plant and EA are countries. They live in the EA and Athrun is from Plant**

Chapter two: in which the first day of school quickly becomes the worst day of school

It was in the start of the morning, when bus drivers were yawning at the wheel, getting ready to pick up even-more-so tired students, that an odd sight appeared on Mulberry Street.

Not that Mulberry Street wasn't used to strange sights- oh no! being home to the famous Hibiki 'twins', who could stir up more trouble then a horse stung by a bee, they were quite proud of their abilities to adapt to 'strange'.

However this…this sight trudging down the side walk probably topped them all to those who happened to glance out their window, looking for the bus but instead spotting what appeared to be a minified lochness monster and it's pet.

Two figures, one definitely humanoid and holding limply onto what appeared to be a rope that was connected to the other. The other was massive and while it's obvious owner dragged each foot, this one bounced merrily about. The only thing these two had in common was the fact that both were covered in mud beyond identification.

They were just turning onto the Hibiki's driveway when the single parent and mother of the devil reincarnations happened to step out to water her flowers.

Bloody murder screamed through out the neighborhood, making sure that everyone who wasn't awake was now.

"Mom! It's me!" came Cagalli's voice from the muddy, water-dripping humanoid.

Val Hibiki struggled to steady herself, her eyes wide as she stared at the two figures before her. She could make out now the clothes that were stuck to the skin and those amber eyes. "Oh my God!" she shrieked. "Is that really you, Cagalli?"

Cagalli dragged the dog past, obviously furious.

"What happened?" her mother asked, following them back into the house. She made a face at the muddy marks the two of them made on the wood floor and hurriedly grabbed Chewie's leash from her daughter's hand, hauling the poor, soggy pooch to the back door.

"Chewie is what happened!" Cagalli growled, fingering her sopping clothing. "Chewie pulled me into the swamp!"

Well that explained the mud and well…everything else.

Thumps came from the stairway and a brown-haired teen with purple eyes skipped down, whistling. "Hey Mo- Holy Shiii-" his eyes, though wide with horror at the monster before him, glanced at his mom in a flash and he amended quickly. "-iiiips."

"That's what I thought you were going to say." His mother huffed, shoving Chewie out ruthlessly and shutting the door behind him.

"Youuu." Cagalli growled, reaching her dirty hands up to throttle her brother. "I wanted to get a cat! But oooh nooo, you thought a dog would be sooooo cute."

"Cagalli?" Kira asked nervously, darting out of reach of her grimy hands. "What happened?"

"YOUR DOG IS WHAT HAPPENED!"

"I think I'm going to go sit down and read a book." Val murmured, already sensing an argument spurring. When the two siblings – nicknamed twins for their closeness- fought, they reaaally fought.

"My dog? Since when is it my dog!"

"Since you picked him out!"

Kira huffed, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. "I think you're making a big deal out of nothing. Besides, Chewie would never drag anyone into a swa-"

The look Cagalli gave him would have set an ice cub on fire. "From now on, Kira, you can do morning walks. I'll do the evening ones."

Kira made a face but shrugged, knowing that he was getting off easy. Of the two, he was the more sweet-tempered, easy-going one while Cagalli gave a whole new meaning to 'hell fire'. Carefully, trying not to touch her and get mud on himself, he slid past her and out the door.

Just.

As.

A.

Yellow.

Bus.

Pulled up.

"No." Cagalli stared out the door after her brother. "Nononononono! Please, no!"

Cheerfully, her brother waved good bye at her before the school bus doors closed behind him and the bus whizzed away.

A howl split the Hibiki house and Val jumped in her seat in the kitchen, her book nearly falling from her hands. "It's just my imagination." She murmured to herself, her eyes wide as she held the book tightly.

Cagalli rushed up the stairs, taking three at a time, tripping on the top one before scrambling to the bathroom. She stripped and leapt into the shower. Gone, gone was her best pair of clothes. Gone was her hair-do and make-up. Gone was any form of forgiveness or sanity.

"Must. Not. Kill. Dog." She whispered through her teeth, reliving the horror of that fateful walk. Every morning she would take Chewie out for a quick trot around the neighborhood. They were passing a marshy area when a bunny had darted out and Chewie had decided that then would be a good time to show Cagalli how good- or bad- of a hunter he really was.

In the end somehow they had both ended up waist deep in a marsh where Cagalli fell over numerous times trying to get out.

Now she was late for school, so dearly late. "I think I want to cry." She mumbled to herself, stepping out of the shower. Quickly, she got dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a middle-school soccer tee-shirt that lay like a limp rag over her chest- or lack there of. She stared at herself in the mirror, knowing that she had only moments to spare to catch the late bus. With out make up she was fairly alright, or so she considered. Her blonde-hair was of course frizzy and thick around her shoulders, but a pretty gleaming blonde and though she wasn't very curvy, she was toned and fit. After all, she had played on the soccer team through out her middle school years.

"Crap." She mumbled, picking at her shirt with two fingers. "Can we say 'new kid' any clearer?" she sighed, regretting snatching the 'middle school' shirt but knowing she couldn't afford to be late.

She charged down stairs, tripping on the last one, and darted out side.

"I'm going to make it," she panted to herself, running down the block to the second bus stop only to see the bus driving away.

She staggered to a halt. "This. Can't. Be. Happening. To. Me." She whispered, her backpack sagging off one shoulder in dejection.

She didn't know how long she had stood there for, her mouth gaping open as her brain struggled to process this turn of events, when a black Porsche drove up beside her on the curb.

It definitely took her a minute to realize someone was calling her name.

"Huh?" her head whipped around, her wide amber eyes meeting exasperated green ones. "Who?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Athrun, remember me, we met yesterday."

She tried to restart her brain, feeling like an overturned train on the tracks. _Think, dammit! _She gave the equivalent of a kick in the butt and felt her brain jump into place.

"Oooh, yeah, I remember you." Please… please don't let this be happening. She thought. The memory of how they met flooded her, giving her another reason to kill the obnoxious mutt.

"Do you need a ride to school?" Athrun asked curiously.

"No," Cagalli snapped. "I'm just standing here by the bus stop playing the part of a late loser for fun."

Athrun laughed much to Cagalli's irritation. She hadn't meant to be funny. "Come on in then," he said, nodding to the seat next to him and she hesitated. It was just a car ride. Not like he was going to kill her and then dump her body in the river.

She glanced at her watch and sighed, she didn't have a choice. Hurriedly, she ran around the car and slid into her seat on the otherside, noticing the new-car smell and the luxurious leather seats. _I could get used to this. _Her mind purred in harmony with the car's engine.

Athrun glanced behind them for cars before switching gears and revving the engine.

And like a shot they were out of there.

A few minutes later, Cagalli, holding on to her seat for dear life, piped up. "That's the seventh person you nearly killed back there. I think this is a sign." She didn't dare to look outside again, afraid to see just how fast they were going. The trees on the side of the road had melted into green and brow blur, the homes just colorful blobs in the midst.

"Yeah, idiots should obviously not cross the street when I'm driving." Grunted Athrun in response.

Cagalli gave him a funny look. "If I wasn't sitting here in the car with you, waiting for my life to end and wishing that my life had at least surpassed highschool, I would've probably found that funny."

When a moment passed and Athrun still hadn't responded to her last comment she steeled herself to glance again at him from the corner of her eye. "Please tell me you're not TEXTING!" she screamed, gripping her seat belt tightly in her hands.

Athrun glared at her. "Shhh, the top is down! People can hear you!"

"Good!" she hissed. "Then at least they'll know who to blame when I die!"

"You're not going to die." Athrun said calmly, swerving a turn.

"You're steering with your KNEEs, while texting while driving at speeds I don't even want to know!"

"Be rational- I'm driving you to school."

"But-"

"You're distracting me-" Athrun sang sweetly before Cagalli could fire back a retort and she gave him a dirty look. "Do you want to drive?" he asked.

Cagalli blinked. "I can't drive, idiot."

Athrun gave her a funny look. Then he shrugged. "Well we're nearly there." He said calmly.

What should have been a ten minute drive to the school was oddly enough a five minute drive and the late-bus's were just finishing their drop offs when they parked.

"I would kiss you to thank you but I'm afraid I might throw up." Cagalli mumbled, staggering out of the car. "Tell me, is my face as green as it feels?"

Athrun rolled his eyes. "I'll see ya later, Cagalli." He gave her a cheerful, casual salute, walking off, a satchel over one shoulder.

Cagalli leaned heavily against his car. "That's a madman." She whispered to herself, staring after the blue-haired boy with a look of horror. From that moment on, she vowed never to miss the buses lest be a victim of Athrun's driving. "He's a driver." She suddenly realized. "He's eighteen!" And with that she shook her head drunkenly and staggered off to class.

OO

Athrun tried not to yawn through his first class after homeroom. After introducing himself, telling the class he was from PLANT and sitting down for some sort of lecture, he had come to the conclusion that he was ahead of the rest of the class. Not that he was surprised about that. In PLANT he had received the best of the best education; if he continued to be ahead in every class like this then things would be rather easy.

A few minutes passed and then the bell rang, giving the sign of one torture over and the other beginning. The class sighed in unison, standing up and gather their stuff. Athrun hooked his books under one arm and walked quickly out of the room. Too quickly in fact as he ran into a girl, knocking her over slightly.

"Ouch!" the girl yelped, dropping her bag and falling to her knees. She looked up, her blue eyes narrowed and furious. Her pink hair, so perfectly done up, fell about her shoulders.

"Lacus?" Athrun asked, recognizing her immediately.

At the name though, the girl only frowned darkly and tossed her hair. She gave him an appraising look and then suddenly smiled, her whole face lighting up. "No," she moved her bag to the other arm and standing up. "Meer, Meer Campbell." She held out her hand to shake. "I'm Junior," she added after he had shook her hand. Her hands reached down to straighten out her mini-mini skirt and her V-cut shirt that Athrun knew would have never been allowed back at his school in PLANT.

"I'm Athrun, Athrun Zala." He said with an easy going smile and she grinned, her eyes sparkling.

"So you just came from this class?" she glanced behind him and shook her head, laughing quietly.

"Yeah?"

"That explains the drained look." She grinned. "I've heard that the lectures given here can bore a man to tears."

"Like you wouldn't believe," Athrun returned her grin.

She snorted. "Well I'll see ya later, kay." She smiled flirtatiously back at him over her shoulder as she walked into the classroom she had just left. "Don't hesitate to call on me!" Her hips couldn't have spoken her thoughts any louder as they swayed side to side attracting many of the young men's gazes. Athrun raised an eyebrow, reaching up to drag a hand through his hair sheepishly.

In all the classes that followed, Athrun kept an eye for the peculiar blonde he had met previously but she wasn't in any. In his last one before lunch, he sat next to a shaggy, brown-haired boy with gleaming purple eyes who introduced himself as Kira.

"I'm Athrun," Athrun told him, trying to think of why Kira's name sounded so familiar to him.

"And this is Miriallia." Kira added, jerking his thumb in the direction of the girl behind him who gave a cheery wave. "Our representative paparazzi."

Athrun winced slightly at the word then smiled as the brunette girl gave a cheery wave, in her hand was clutched a camera.

She raised it, "Picture?" she asked, peering at him with a smile over her slightly dented, obviously worn camera. "For the newspaper," she added with a small shrug.

Athrun hesitated then nodded and with an all-too-familiar flash, she took his picture.

"Hmmm," the girl studied the small screen on her camera. "I think we should try that one again… and perhaps this time you shouldn't grimace no matter how photo-phobic you may be." She glanced up, raising her camera again with a feisty grin. "Gotta look pretty for the ladies!"

This time Athrun did his best not to wince at the small _click, _the wide smile on his face felt strained.

"Great, thanks! Now the girls who aren't already drooling all over you will be." She made a mock face of disgust and Kira laughed at Athrun's puzzled expression.

"What?" Athrun asked, puzzled.

"Half the population in the school already thinks that you're the sexiest thing since pokemon." Mirallia added, her eyes sparkling.

"Pokemon." Athrun mouthed to Kira and he shrugged, as lost as he was with Milly's logic.

Athrun shook his head in disbelief. "If half the population in this school means all the girls then-"

"Actually… it means most of the girls and some of the guys- that's half of the population." Milly interjected hastily and Athrun rolled his eyes.

"If that girl, Meer, is the girl's welcome wagon I'm sorta afraid to see the guys…" he mumbled and then glanced quickly at Kira, something occurring to him. "Unless…"

Kira's eyebrows shot up, following Athrun's train of thought. "I'm not gay!" he cried.

"Yeah, but you are a cry baby!" Milly teased back.

Kira reddened. "Am not!"

"Puh-leeze, the whole class watched you get all weepy during Romeo and Juliet."

"That was my allergies acting up!"

"You said that about _Anne of Green Gables,_ when Matthew died, too! The teacher had to excuse you from the classroom it was so bad." (A/N, guys, I'm a die-hard Anne-fan lol)

Athrun laughed. "Tough luck."

Kira grimaced, glaring at Milly. "Thanks, friend."

"Anytime."

Class started, cutting off the brunettes bickering and yet by the end of the class (and the start of lunch) they were already at it again.

Seeing Athrun looking sorta lost, Kira punched him lightly in the arm. "Come on, new guy, you can sit with us."

"Yeah, it's not like a law or anything of where you can and can't sit." Miraillia added with a roll of her eyes. The trio made their way to lunch- during the walk, Athrun noticed to his vast amusement that many of the girls (and some of the boys…) were glancing every now and then at him, from freshmen to seniors.

"Oh look, there's Yzak." Milly pointed a few minutes later to a silver haired boy with pale skin who was looking positively livid across the cafeteria. They set down their recently aquired trays full of food on an empty table before Mirallia led them over to where 'Yzak' was in a heated debate with a brunette girl.

"Next time you want to beat up a kid, Yzak, then come to me and we'll dish it out!" the brown haired girl snarled to Yzak, standing, hands on hips, in front of a green haired boy.

The gangly green-haired boy was gaping from where he sat, covered in his own food, a tray laying beside him, upside down on the floor.

"Not again…" Mirallia sighed and leaned over, asking the boy if he was alright as she began picking things up.

"Beat it, Hahnenfuss!" Yzak growled back, his icy blue eyes narrowed.

"Chill, dude." Kira raised a hand in warning. "She's a girl and Nicol's only a freshman."

Shiho gave Kira a glare- obviously pissed at his sexist implications.

"Who is that?" Athrun murmured to Milly once she had straightened back up.

"Shiho Hahnenfuss- our resident blackbelt and female badass- is a Junior. She's got her heart in the right place but has violent methods." Milly shrugged. "Yzak is a decent guy too, but he…has his temper as you can tell. Shiho is the only one who isn't afraid of getting between him and his victim. Then again, Shiho isn't really afraid of anyone. She'll stand up for anyone who she thinks is in trouble."

"I'm alright," the boy, Nicol piped up in a small voice, dusting off his pants.

Shiho glanced at him up and down and then the cleaned up floor. She relaxed and smiled at everyone as if they had just got in from a good game of chess. "Nice talking with you," she glanced at Athrun curiously before nodding in greeting and walking away, her shoulders stiff.

"Yup… that's Shiho." Kira mumbled, dragging a hand through his hair.

"Hey guys!" a dark-pink haired girl ran up grinning. "We gonna eat lun- oh!" her eyes widened at the sight of Athrun and she blushed slightly. "Oh, hi! I'm Lunamaria! I'm a Senior here too!" she chattered quickly at the speed of light and Milly giggled as they all sat down to eat.

"Aloha my pretties," drawled a male voice behind Athrun and Mirallia suddenly yelped as someone squeezed her sides.

"Dearka you pervert! Keep your hands to yourself!" she shrieked as tan, grinning blonde slid into the bench next to her.

"Gee… no, 'Hey! Dearka! How was Hawai? We missed you!' Boy do I feel the love." He glanced at Athrun and added. "Kira! How many times do I have to tell you? You can't bring ho-bos for show and tell!"

Kira paused, his mouth full of food and he was obviously considering his list of retorts. He settled for a shrug, unable to speak.

"This is Athrun Zala, he's a Senior from…" Mirallia paused and Athrun added in hastily.

"PLANT." No reason to tell them his exact school.

Mirallia's eyes narrowed slightly in a puzzled way but she nodded. "So you're a Coordinator?" When he nodded she grinned. "Neat!"

Dearka cocked his head. "Nice to meetcha. The name is Dearka, a Junior, but the mortals here know me as the 'god of sex'."

Yzak swatted Dearka. "Idiot! Don't use pick up lines on guys! That's sick!"

Dearka laughed. "Don't be jealous, Yzak. Take a number, get in line." He glanced at Milly who seemed to be trying her best to deny his existence. "And you, my beauty, don't even have to wait in line." The brunette girl gritted her teeth furiously.

"I'm trying to eat, guys." Kira butted in, making a face. "And though we're all used to it, I'm sure Athrun is having second thoughts about sitting with us."

"He doesn't have to sit here." Yzak muttered darkly.

"You don't have to either, as I recall." Dearka replied cheerfully and quickly ducked the hook punch Yzak swung over the table at him.

Kira rolled his eyes then stopped as something vibrated loudly in his pocket. He pulled out his phone, his eyes scanning the txt message. "Oooh, I forgot they were doing the first-string soccer try-outs today…" he murmured to himself.

"You play?" Athrun asked, interest kindling in him. He had been on the soccer team back in PLANT.

"A little enough to know the rules and stuff. It's my baby sister who is the real soccer-freak."

The doors banged open emitting a number of grass-stained girls and Kira's eyes lit up. "And here she comes."

Athrun glanced curiously from the corner of his eyes at the four girls who were laughing as they made their way through the cafeteria. Three of them were obviously athletic and right away he recognized the cleanest of them. Lacus Clyne was more petite then the busty Meer and obviously younger looking.

The tallest of the three other girls had long dark pink hair and a sway to her hips, curvy.

The shortest had bright pink pigtails and a delighted smile.

And the last, the one who walked confidently with a grin on her face, her amber eyes gleaming brightly in excitement was-

"Cagalli?" Athrun didn't realize he was half standing in his chair until Kira tugged him back down.

"You know my sister?" Kira asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Sister?" Athrun's eyes widened. "Oh! You're the older brother! Now I know why your name was familiar. Yeah, I met your sister yesterday when she was walking your dog. I just moved in on your street."

"Oh!"

"Kiraaa!" Cagalli's familiar voice called out and the petite yet sturdy-looking blonde jogged up followed slowly by Lacus. "I made it! I made the-" her words trailed off as she spotted Athrun. "You!" she yelped.

Lacus waved to Athrun. "Hi Athrun," she waved to everyone else smiling and only Yzak didn't respond back to the sweet pink-haired girl.

Kira glanced at Athrun, his expression unreadable before he reached up to give his sister a hug. "Congrats- what position?"

"Flay and I got offense and Meyrin got defense." Cagalli quickly explained, her narrowed amber eyes never leaving Athrun's.

"You're a Junior?" Athrun guessed, ignoring the context of conversation- Kira glanced at him again from the corner of his eye.

Cagalli gave him a funny look. "I'm a-" she paused then as someone called her from across the classroom. She glanced at Athrun and said. "I'll talk to you later- bye." And then spun a bout, heading towards the atable.

Athrun blinked in surprise, his green eyes following her for a moment across the room until she sat down. Then he turned back, slightly bewildered feeling .

"Is she always like that?" he asked Kira, trying to cover up the moment.

Kira, in the middle of fending off the veggies Dearka was picking out of his food and flicking at him, nodded. "Sorta in one ear and out the other? Can't mistake her for anyone else." An extremely nasty piece of something soggy and dark green smacked him in the middle of the forehead- Dearka let out a crow of victory.

Kira sighed, wiping it off before glaring at Dearka. "You!" he hissed.

And Dearka bent a single finger. "Bring it."

OO

Cagalli was sitting on the stage with Lacus, strumming her acoustic guitar while Nicol, off stage, played a duet to her song on the piano. Meanwhile, Lacus, sitting beside Cagalli on the edge of the stage sang whatever words came to her mind. With most people that would ridiculous but with Lacus- she could pull it off.

"Ahhh, it sounds sooo good. We just need a drummer and a bass player." Cagalli groaned.

"There has to be someone who fits us that will join." Nicol said.

The three friends had been looking into constructing a band for the school's talent show. Lacus singing. Nicol playing piano and Cagalli play guitar.

Cagalli's cell chirped and she pulled out of her pocket. Her eyebrows slanted down for a moment as she glared at the screen as if it had personally offended her. Texting furiously on the tiny keyboard she hissed. "I don't forgive!"

Lacus raised her eyebrows. "Cagalli?"

Cagalli shook her head. "Kira just messaged me. He's going out tonight and he wants me to take Chewie for the evening walk and feed him."

Nicol slid the wooden panel over the piano keys gently before standing up and walking towards them. "What does forgiveness have to do with dog-detail?"

"Going out? On a date." Lacus repeated innocently.

"Trust me, Nicol. You don't want to know…" Nicol swallowed, contemplating Cagalli's ominous words while the blonde shot Lacus a funny look. "A date? Kira? Are we talking about the same guy?" she shook her head. "As long as he keeps shoving dog-detail on to me then it's a sure fact that he'll be single for a long time."

"You're sabotaging his love life?" Nicol chortled.

"Hell yes."

Lacus shook her head. "Don't you think you're taking this a bit far."

A strange scary gleam shone in Cagalli's eyes. "If you know what I went through this morning." She shook her head. "Kira will rue the day he indirectly crossed me."

The doors to the auditorium banged open as someone struggling to carry a huge purple bin stumbled in.

Distracted from her vague and rather empty threat upon her brother, Cagalli hopped to her feet after a moment of watching the stranger struggle with carrying the obviously heavy bin.

"You need some help with that?" she called, running up to the tan boy.

The boy craned his head around the edge of it. "Ah. That would be fantastic. Simply superb." He had a funny brogue to his voice and a sparkle in his eye that filled his words with grateful humor.

As Cagalli supported the one end, lessening the weight for him as he directed her backstage.

"It's not every day that the beautiful princess comes to the knight's rescue." He mused as they set the bin down in the drama-club's apartment.

Cagalli snorted. "Please." She rolled her eyes in exasperation before noticing the teasing glint in his dark chocolate-brown eyes. "My name is Cagalli."

Suddenly he bowed, grabbing her hand and kissing it. He grinned up at her. "My name is Ahmed."

Cagalli tugged her hand uncertainly away from him and he laughed at the odd look she gave him.

"Where again did you come from?" she asked.

Ahmed tipped his head back as if recalling something, his tone lilt but serious. "Well one night my mother and my father-"

Cagalli flushed and shoved him hard, causing him to stumble chuckling.

"Idiot." She hissed.

"I couldn't help it!" he protested, sticking his hands in his pockets and grinning at her boyishly as he rocked on his toes. His hair stuck out in every direction in a rather wild but interesting way and Cagalli laughed silently to herself at the idea of static in his hair.

"Actually," Ahmed pulled a hand free to jerk his thumb over his shoulder. "I just came from the hallway- some teacher asked me to carry this down here so- voila." Behind him in the entrance they had come through to the back of the stage Lacus stood, looking curiously at Cagalli.

Cagalli smiled and waved. "Well my friends are waiting for me- I guess I'll see you later?"

"I'm a sophmere- you?"

"Freshman, so maybe we'll see each other." He laughed exuberantly and Cagalli shook her head incredulously, lost.

"See ya."

Cagalli ran up besides Lacus and as they walked away, Lacus elbowed her gently.

"He's cute- who is he? Was he nice? Where is he from? This school of course- but what grade?"

Cagalli fended her off, laughing slightly which seemed to stun Lacus for a moment. "His name is Ahmed and he's a sophomore."

Lacus processed this for a moment before nodding her head. "Well he is definetly cute."

"He is…isn't he." Cagalli murmured absentmindedly to herself- completely missing the look of disbelief that crossed Lacus's face. They walked out into the blinding sun that blazed down onto the parking lot just in time to see a green eyed man start up his black Porsche that was located next to a sparkling red sedan.

"Oh, there's Athrun." Cagalli added, watching as the blue-haired man carefully backed out.

Lacus, overcoming her moment in shock added. "Didn't you get a ride with him this morning."

Cagalli chortled. "If you can call it that. I thought I was going to die!" The black Porsche revved up and then shot past the girls fast- but not so fast that Cagalli didn't notice those unique gorgeous green eyes glance in her direction for a moment. What she didn't see was the slight smile that spread across his face as the wind whipped his hair back from his face.

"I get what you mean." Lacus observed watching as the car swung a corner. "Chewie certainly has a way of getting you in trouble."

"Boy can you say that again…"

OOOO

**Well, i didn't really edit much cuz i wanted to get it out before the weekend so i could work on black belt stuff (aaaaah!) So sorry for spelling/grammar errors -.-**

**Please review, it means a ton =) **

**Azetta**


	3. chapter 3: In which the worst lie ever

**Happy New Year everyone, and I hope your holidays were great :)**

**Replies :D**

**Skunk- **Sure thing- btw, cute screenname, I dare not ask :P

**Meyrin-X-Zaftgirl – **Thank you for your very constructive review- I'm just trying to focus honestly on keeping all my characters in character, lol. I always go OOC, especially with Athrun. Athrun will always be the most confusing-to-write character for me *sigh* lol. And honestly, I think Justice is kinda a awkward name for a dog. "Sit, Justice! Down Justice! Attack, Justice!" XD And thank you, I passed the black belt test :D it's super cool being an instructor now and helping to teach the younger (belt-wise) students. Thank you so much for the support

**Sake-hime – **I think I'm failing on all fronts to do the 'update soon' well, hopefully not that the holidays are over I'll actually get back on track

**ESP –** I kinda have a think for marital arts *cough* right, yeah lol, I've always thought that Shiho would be some sorta bad-ass gang leader if they actually gave her more limelight in the show…cuz ya know…they didn't…at all… Yes, in a way the cycle is complete- but don't worry, I still have some surprises up my sleeve…my other sleeve… One thing you gotta learn about me is that in both this and Tangled Fates I always have a couple twists…or at least I try to… -.-

**Writingknightmare- **Chances are I probably already replied to this a long time ago XD But anyway, you crazy Pill-Popper – I do in fact know you quite well. Cuz we're like…Twins…but not… (okay, now I'm sounding creepy. I did not mean to sound creepy, shut up self) Believe it or not, but I do have friends….somewhere… -.- XD lol Btw, you should update your stories, you should- why haven't you, evil person! :P btw, how's the writing club going? I want to hear about what the club does and stufferz, lol homeschooler, remember?

**IgNighted- **Well, hopefully going places- sadly, my plot is rather…non-existing… I'm just sorta doing the ol' 'Throw it as hard as you can and see where it lands' thing…. In other words…I'm winging it… -.- But hopefully it will continue to be good read. I just hope the readers will not mind a couple chapters before relationships actually start building. Right now I'm just doing the whole 'introduction' thing

**Fate Camiswhil- **Omgosh, I feel kinda awesome now cuz I have this really awesome writer (you) reviewing for my last chapter! :D Must…resist…urge…to….get excited… lol

Btw, yeah, I kinda had to think about the worst things imaginable to happen on the first day of school (oh wait…I'm a homeschooler, what the heck am I talking about?) and you have my deepest condolences for falling in a swamp…lol

Meer/Beer…what? Do I dare ask?

And go Mir! Mir's full of awesomesauce :D

And Shiho for the win! And the soccer scene- yeah, I kinda did imagine it movie-slow-mo-like and then I remembered that they're freshmen so it kinda lost the cool-factor -.-

Character bashing isn't something I thrill for when I read- it's kind of stereo typical however, the reason I did mention it at one point in the first chapter about meer was coming from Cagalli's opinion. Cagalli doesn't thrill Meer. Understandable- there's always people who get on our nerves. Doesn't mean they're the villain.

And that's a cute name for a dog! Bakachu! :D I'm going to remember that for our next dog *nod*

**Cagallifan – **Omgosh, I spent so long debating on how old to make Kira. Cause I wanted them to be twins but at the same time I doubted Athrun would become close guy-friends with a guy who is a couple years younger. Look! I have a grey hair *cries* oh wait… it's just a dog hair, nvm. (my dog sheds through out the year O.o )

**XxMeishaxX – **And it's still just beginning I'm still pulling in random characters- I printed up this entire character sheet off of wiki …why? So I would know how to spell everyone's names. -.- Everyone being excited is starting to make me excited and then I keep forgetting bits and pieces of the plot- lol hopefully I can keep the story going ;)

*disclaimer, I do not own Gundam Seed

Freshmen (15 yrs):

Cagalli,

Lacus,

Meyrin,

Nicol

Sophomore (16 yrs):

Ahmed

Flay

Shin

Juniors (17 yrs):

Shiho

Meer

Dearka

Seniors (18yrs) :

Athrun

Kira

Yzak

Lunamaria

Mirallia

Warning: As I add characters in, I will also be updating the above list

I apologize for all grammar/spelling errors. I must admit I didn't put a lot of work of editing into this chapter… -.- Sorry….

**Chapter 3 : In which the worst lie ever is actually the truth**

A few days had passed since the 'swamp incident' and after many arguments, all of them loud, the morning walks had been turned over to Kira which meant Cagalli had the luxury of sleeping in for the first school day in her life since they had gotten Chewie.

"Ahhhhh…" Cagalli sighed happily as she snuggled into her blankets, her eyes still closed as if reveling in a dream. Her internal clock had woken her up early anyway but still she enjoyed the feeling of being all wrapped up in blankets and knowing that she had another fifteen minutes before she really needed to get up. "Best…day…ever." She rolled over with another happy sigh and a crunch.

Cagalli froze and shifted again…carefully.

Crunch. Crunch.

"What in the world?" slowly, tentatively, she blinked her amber eyes open, yawning. Fighting the bleariness she felt around for the light on her nightstand by her bed. Flicking the switch sent light flooding through the shadowed room and Cagalli had to squint for a moment as her eyes adjusted.

Though it was hard for her to tell but it seemed like her bed had turned into a winter wonderland- white bits of _something _standing out starkly against her dark red comforter. Her eyes widened in horror as she held out trembling fingers to those white bits, praying that it wasn't what it seemed.

But just as she suspected, it was.

"I'm…going…to kill him." Cagalli flopped back into her bed with another rustle and a crunch, her eyes squeezed shut in a childish attempt to deny the truth.

Her life was over.

OOOOOOO

In Algebra class

Cagalli hunkered down in her seat, wishing the linoleum floors below would open up and swallow her whole- or at least provide a worm hole to another class far away from this one.

Because why…why did it have to be this class of all classes? The one class she struggled with- the one class she always managed to never get above a C; the one class with the strictest teacher.

Yes. That's right. Natarle Badgiruel was Cagalli's teacher.

"Hibiki, would you like to explain this?"

Cagalli kept her eyes trained on her desktop while everybody else's eyes became focused on her. "Explain what?" she asked meekly.

"Where is your homework?" demanded the teacher and slowly, ever so slowly, Cagalli's amber eyes slid up to gaze at those purple eyes that were glaring at her.

Gulp.

Cagalli mumbled softly.

"What did you say?" the teacher asked sharply. "Speak up. Louder."

Cagalli took a deep breath, knowing that she would never live this down, no matter how long she lived. "My dog ate my home work."

OOOOOO

"And that's how I ended up out here." Cagalli sighed moodily, leaning back against the cold lockers that lined the hall ways, her hands in her pockets.

Athrun, unable to restrain himself any longer, burst out laughing.

Cagalli's eyes widened. "It's not funny!" she protested furiously. "I'm in huge trouble not to mention my grade."

"Wait, wait." Athrun wagged a finger at her. "Are you being serious? Your dog really ate your homework?"

Cagalli's eyes narrowed to slits. "Do I look like the kind of person who would use such a stupid excuse with out reason?"

Athrun laughed.

Cagalli frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "It really isn't that funny. I was about ready to kill Chewie." She paused, glancing up at Athrun. "I guess your dog,-Justice, right?- I guess he doesn't go around chewing up your homework, huh?"

"Hm. No. He's well-trained."

Switching gears at the implication Athrun hadn't meant to make, Cagalli shot back. "Chewie is well-trained! He's been to numerous obedience schools, you should know."

Nodding obligingly Athrun quipped with a smirk. "Oh indeed, it's obvious." His green eyes sparkled with amusement down at his shorter friend.

Cagalli nodded. "It takes skill to be kicked out of every obedience school." She frowned. "My mom even went as far as to beg the Dog Whisperer for help."

"Really? Did he come?"

"Yes."

"And?"

Cagalli's eyes closed as if she was trying to suppress a memory. "I don't really want to talk about it…"

Trying to be serious for his friend, Athrun bit his bottom lip, holding in his laughter.

Cagalli opened one gleaming amber eye. "Anyway, what are you doing here?" she asked. She had been sent out of the classroom to 'reflect on your childish behavior' but she hadn't expected to meet Athrun here as well.

Athrun made a slight face and gestured a thumb over his shoulder. "Ah, got into a dispute with my chemistry teacher over something. Nothing…interesting." He chuckled and Cagalli glared at him. "I kinda feel bad actually." He shrugged. "I ditched my chemistry partner in there."

"Who's your partner?" Cagalli asked.

"Shiho Hahnenfuss."

Cagalli gaped for a moment then grinned. "Oh Shiho is pretty awesome. I'm sure she's fine."

The two fell into a peaceful silence for a moment before once again Cagalli sighed.

"Are you alright?" Athrun asked in concern.

The blonde frowned slightly, gazing ahead of her. "Just worried about my math grade." She shrugged. "Let's just say it's not my area of expertise." She sniffed. "Well, too be honest I suck at it. Only subject I fail in."

"Really?" Athrun's eyebrows went up and Cagalli groaned.

"Don't tell me…you love math and you're passing it with all As."

"Well, I don't know about loving math," Athrun chuckled. "But I seem to do acceptingly well here."

"What class?"

"Honors Calculus."

Cagalli rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Never mind."

Athrun smiled. "What about your brother- can't he help you?"

Cagalli's amber eyes stared at Athrun in a look akin to horror. "Kira? Help me? In math? You're kidding right? The only satisfaction I get from failing is knowing that he's doing worse then me."

"What?" Athrun asked in surprise, his eyebrows shooting up. "Does he not understand it?"

Cagalli snorted. "Yeah, if only it was that. No, he finds it 'boring' and chooses to spend his time doing more 'fruitful' things…like sleeping."

"He sleeps in math class?" Athrun said slowly.

"Yeah…with his eyes open." Cagalli rolled her eyes and Athrun shook his head in disbelief.

"How does he pass then?"

"Well that's the funny thing that nobody has been able to figure out. He spends the entire year sleeping through math class and failing every test but still he gets a good grade." Cagallis' brow furrowed. "Every year we have this end-of-the-year math test and somehow, with out fail, Kira has managed to pass with a rather high grade. Nobody understands it." She folded her arms tightly against her chest again. "I just wish I knew how he does it."

Athrun glanced at her, debating mentally before asking. "Would you like me to tutor you?"

Cagalli glanced up at him curiously. The blue-haired senior smiled down at her, his green eyes showed his sincerity. "Tutor me? You would do that, seriously?"

"Sure." Athrun shrugged.

"How much?"

Athrun blinked. "Er." He smiled. "No it would be for free- I don't mind helping."

Cagalli gaped and then grinned. "Well you should be warned- I am world's worst student."

Athrun winked. "I'm a very good teacher, and like you said, I seem to be doing rather well in it so no worries."

"I'm not worried about your teaching, Mr. Conceited, I'm more worried about your patience." She paused and added as an after thought. "Also, you sure you want to be tutoring me? That's like a shortcut to rock-bottom around here in the social circles ."

Athrun looked slightly puzzled. It wasn't like Cagalli was a social leper so what did she mean 'shortcut to rock-bottom'? "Can't be worse then being friends with your brother."

Cagalli's eyes went wide as she considered this. "Very true." She grinned. "Thanks, really. That means a lot though I think you'll be reconsidering this promise you've made."

"I doubt it."

"When do you want to start?"

"Tonight? I can come over anytime."

"Five then; before Chewie has supper." Cagalli's face went pale and Athrun chuckled. Tossing her short blond hair over her shoulders she glanced up at Athrun. "But I feel bad. I mean, you're going to waste time trying to get me to understand something and there's nothing in it for you."

_Besides talking to you? I need more reason? _Athrun thought, burying his hands into his pockets. "It's no problem, really." He smiled. "My payment will be you passing your classes."

Cagalli hesitated, mulling it over. "If you say so." She sounded doubtful. "How about this. For every grade above a C I get then I have to owe you something?"

"Owe me what?" Athrun shook his head. "I really don't mind."

Cagalli shook her head. "No, no. I would feel horrible if I didn't pay you back some how. It's like this- a favor. For every good grade I get, I owe you a favor." She smiled at him. "Sounds fair, doesn't it?"

Athrun smiled slightly though inwardly he sighed at the oblivious junior. _She just doesn't get it…_

A bell rang and Cagalli's head snapped around. "Oops, time to go." She grinned back at Athrun. "So I'll see ya later? Five! I owe ya!"

Athrun waved as she sprinted off.

"Was that Kira's little sister I saw?" asked a familiar voice and Athrun turned to see Shiho standing behind him, her arms full of books.

"Yeah." Athrun paused before bursting out hastily. "Listen, Shiho, I'm really sorry about chemistry and ditching you."

The Junior gave him a puzzled look. "I'm ahead of my grade for a reason, Zala." She tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear and smiled a thin smile. "I'm quite adept at taking care of myself." She shifted her books to one arm and stuck out a note book. "Here are some notes though that I took. You can scan through them if you want so you know what the teacher's talking about tomorrow."

Surprised by her kindness, Athrun took the note book. "Thanks, Shiho." He smiled and then paused, spotting over the brunette's shoulder a familiar pair of silver eyes.

Yzak was watching them from a few feet away, looking slightly irate. Next to him was Kira and Dearka who seemed to be debating something.

"Is everything alright with Yzak?"

Shiho snickered. "How should I know?" She turned her head and shot a pointed glare at the silver haired boy. Turning back to face Athrun she gave a small shrug and a tiny smirk. "Let's just say me and Yzak…don't always get along." Her smile widened slightly and she walked around Athrun. "See ya, Zala."

"Er," feeling slightly baffled, Athrun watched her for a moment before heading over to where his new friends were.

"What did she want?" Yzak asked him sharply when he had come to a stop a few feet away.

"Giving me notes." Athrun waved the note book lightly.

Yzak huffed slightly. "Be careful. That girl is a monster."

"Yeah, whatever that means." Dearka broke conversation with Kira to sling an arm around Yzak's shoulder. "Yzak, my man, you are not a people-person."

Yzak batted his friend away. "And you are too much of one."

Dearka's eyes slid past Yzak to watch someone walking towards them and mumbled quietly. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Hi Kira!" Mirallia came up with a merry skip in her step, her camera swinging from her neck. "Guys, guess what!" with out waiting for a response she chattered on. "Our opposing school is sending over their top journalist in the trade in."

"Trade what?" Dearka repeated.

"It's where schools trade their top news-writers for two weeks." She made a slight face. "I wasn't chosen to be sent over, considering I specialize in photography…but I was chosen to be the new journalist's first official friend!" She grinned. "I'm so excited to meet him." She beamed but her excitement was lost on her friends and she sighed. "It's a very big deal. Like Ash becoming pokemon master big deal." Once again, her logic was lost on her friends.

"Like 'edible cafeteria food' big deal?" Kira asked tentatively and she nodded. All of their eyes widened. "Wow. Big deal indeed." Kira nodded and Athrun laughed.

"Anyway, he's supposed to be here soon." Miriallia sighed. "I can't wait to meet him though."

"Wait," Dearka broke in. "It's a him?" his eyebrows went up slightly and Miriallia nodded.

"Yup. Why? You're expanding your game?" Miriallia teased.

Dearka made a face at her. "Ha. Ha. Very funny, Mir. But why would I do that when I have such lovely ladies like you to keep me company?" And with a wink he threw an arm over both her and Yzak's shoulder, much to the silver-haired man's howls of indignation.

Kira yawned. "Calc class is next- thank God. I need some extra sleep to catch up for what I'm missing."

After wriggling out from under Deark's arm, Mirialla asked. "You're not getting your sleep. Whoa, am I missing something? Kira? Not sleeping?"

Kira glared at her. "Har, har. No, but my sister and me had a stand off and somehow I ended up with morning walk detail."

"I heard about that." Athrun chuckled realizing a moment to late as the groups eyes focused on him.

Kira looked confused. "You heard about that?"

"Er, yeah. Your sister told me."

"You talk to my sister?" The question sounded so innocent… but over Kira's shoulder Miriallia franticly made slashing motions across her throat.

"Well," Athrun said slowly, deciding to get the worst over in public where…murder wouldn't happen. "I am going to be tutoring her?" Shoot, why had he said it like a question? It wasn't like Cagalli wasn't old enough to talk to guys or…be friends with guys or date guys. Not…that…Athrun was looking to date Cagalli, not that he wouldn't mind but, well, he was tutoring her…yeah…

"WHOA!" Dearka laughed as Kira's face went red. "Why didn't I ever think of using that excuse?"

Miriallia winced and Athrun glared at Dearka. "No, I mean it." He put his hands up in a 'stop' gesture to Kira. "I'm just helping her in her math."

Dearka snickered. "Three plus three equals sex."

As one, the entire group except for Kira and Dearka, inhaled slowly and Kira turned to gaze flatly at Dearka. "Dearka, I thought we had this conversation all ready?"

Dearka looked innocently back at Kira. "Kira, friend, buddy, pal, you know I got your back. Just keeping an eye out for your sister, that's all."

Kira sighed, straightening slightly and relaxing. "Sorry. I get tense with out sleep."

Yzak rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's all." He muttered.

"Anyway, if that's all." Kira smiled at Athrun. "Good luck. She's gone through a lot of tutors."

"That's what he said." Dearka muttered and both he and Yzak slapped a high five.

OOOOOOOO

"Ugh, I hate planning homecoming." Lunamaria sighed, rubbing her forehead. She and Meer were the official homecoming planners- Meer being the head of the cheerleaders and Lunamaria was the captain of the girl's swimteam.

"It's kinda fun." Meer said dryly as the two girls painted a wooden board.

"Yeah, if you're not doing all the work." Lunamaria said sarcastically. The gym they worked in was empty, devoid of any helpers. Until people signed up, it seemed to the two that they would be doing all the work of decorating and planning the homecoming dance.

"There, done another sign." Lunamaria wiped her blue-spattered hand over forehead, not caring that she got more paint on her self.

Meer giggled, sitting up as well. "Good thing you wore that smock-thing. You're covered in paint."

Lunamaria groaned. "Thanks." She sighed, glancing around for a moment before asking. "Mind if I got take a break real quick?"

Meer shrugged. "Go ahead."

Lunamaria nodded and then stood up, working kinks out of her shoulders as she headed to an Exit door to escape the paint fumes. Stepping out into the warm sunshine, the door swinging close behind her, she sighed.

Truthfully she normally loved planning homecoming, but not this year. Her boyfriend, Tolle Koenig, had broken up with her last year at his school's homecoming dance and she had been single since.

She inhaled deeply, her eyes opening slowly to take in that blue sky, only to double over coughing.

"Smoke?" she coughed slightly, her eyes opening again to focus on someone opposite from her who was frozen in mid-breath.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her heart pounding slightly.

The black-haired stranger before her frowned, his crimson red eyes narrowing to slits. "Who am I? Who are _you?" _He stood up, flicking the cigarette he had been smoking to the ground.

Lunamaria frowned in distaste. "How old are you?" she demanded sharply, though she felt slightly perturbed. The boy screamed 'gang member' in appearance alone. He wore a black leather coat, his hair was unkempt and shaggy and he wore ripped black jeans and black boots.

The boy cocked his head to one side. "None of your business."

That was fine though, Luna had already figured it out. "Wait, I know who you are- you're Shin…Shin, um, Shin Asuka!" Tales of the infamous delinquent were quite popular but until now, Luna had managed to avoid running in with the boy.

"You shouldn't be smoking that." She snapped. "First, smoking is terrible for your lungs-"

"And you care, why?" the boy drawled lazily, pulling out another cigarette from his pocket.

Stepping forward, she snatched it from his fingers and threw it on the ground where she promptly grinded it to 'smush' beneath her shoe. "I'm a swimmer. You need good lungs to swim. Anyway, you're only a sophomore. I should go tell the principle on you." She turned to walk back inside but was jolted to a stop when a hand grabbed the hind collar of her shirt.

"Hey!" she yelped as she was swung around to face the boy's dark eyes.

"Don't." Shin snapped.

"And why not?" Luna raised her chin haughtily.

"Just don't." he let her go and she took a step back, hesitating.

"Wait."

Shin glanced at her.

"I won't say a word…if you come and help me and my friend do some decorations." Luna gestured over her shoulder to the gym.

Shin glanced at the gym door, debating about it before nodding, shoving his hands deep into his coat pockets. "Fine. Lead the way." His voice was low and his expression bored.

Surprised with his easy agreement Luna nodded, opening the door and leading the way into the gym. Meer was gone, probably catching her own break so the gym, dimly lit, was empty except for Luna and Shin.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, but eager to fill the awkward silence, Luna said. "I would take your coat off- things can get messy."

Shin nodded, throwing his coat next to Luna's on the bleachers before kneeling beside a board where 'homecoming' had been outlined in marker.

Luna smiled in relief that he wasn't be a brat about it, settling down opposite him and handing him a clean brush. "Knock yourself out."

The two got to work, Shin silent while Luna would often spout something random to keep the silence from going on too long. She was so uncomfortably aware of Shin's presence, still radiating that 'bad-boy' complex that sent shivers of fear down her goody-two-shoe spine.

"By the way, my name's Lunamaria."

Shine nodded though he didn't say anything.

Luna paused to watch him for the first time, noticing that his brush strokes were smooth and perfect but the expression on his face looked slightly pained.

"Are you okay?" she asked, bewildered and something flashed in his red eyes.

"I'm fine." Shin glanced up for hardly a second. "Just remembering something…that's all."

OOOOOOOOOO

It was at the end of school that it happened- twin screeching of brakes and then the massive crash as two small cars hit each other solidly. Students filled the hall ways, all of them struggling to get to the parking lot where the sound had come from.

Wriggling through people, Cagalli made her way to the parkinglot, trembling slightly as she remembered that Athrun had left to the parkinglot not five minutes ago to leave. _I hope…I hope…I hope…_

She didn't know what she hoped but panicking seemed like a good idea as she burst into the parkinglot to view the smoking disaster.

Two cars, one a red sedan and the other so rusted it was hard to tell what color it had been once had hit eachother, the sedan ramming into the driver's side of the rusted car.

"Oh my God." Cagalli whispered in horror before rushing down having recognized who the rusted car belonged to.

She wasn't the first one at the scene as Athrun pulled a limp body from the wreckage of the rusted car.

Shiho, her left arm clutched awkwardly to her chest, blood trickling from her hairline was unconscious as Athrun laid her gently on the concrete.

"Shiho!" Cagalli dropped to her knees beside her injured friend.

"Don't move her." Athrun instructed. "She might have a concussion." He smoothed Shiho's hair from her forehead, feeling lightly around her hairline for bumps.

Cagalli watched him in awe, feeling so young as he helped his friend. "You seem to know what you're doing." She said softly, pulling her cellphone out of her pocket and dialing for help. Teachers were already coming, snapping at the other students to stay back.

Athrun grimly nodded. My mother is a nurse- I've picked up a lot." He glanced at Shiho who seemed to be coming to with a groan. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Shiho gazed blearily up. "Hmmm…Like that jackass, Yzak, has been annoying me all day." She groaned trying to sit up and Cagalli gently pushed her down.

"Stay still, Shiho."

"What happened?" her friend asked once deciding she should do as Cagalli suggested.

"Carcrash."

Athrun laid a hand on Cagalli's shoulder, gazing at her seriously. "Keep an eye on her, okay? I'm going to go check on Meer."

Cagalli nodded, biting her bottom lip. She watched Athrun go to the gleaming red sedan and begin pulling out another limp body.

"Athrun…" Shiho murmured. "He pulled me out I guess?"

Cagalli nodded.

"Well," she coughed a laugh. "That makes up for giving him my notes I guess." She closed her eyes with another groan and Cagalli clenched her hands in worry.

"You're going to be fine, okay, Shiho?" she babbled nervously and Shiho peeked at her from under one eye.

"Chill, Hibiki. I'm fine. Just going to hit the snooze button for a moment…" she trailed off, falling unconscious just as Yzak and Kira ran up.

"Hahnenfuss." Yzak yelped in surprise, unable to recognize the tough girl who lay limply on the ground, bleeding from numerous scratches. A teacher followed them, barking out commands.

"You kids shouldn't be here." Ramius told them.

"Shiho's my friend." Cagalli protested and Ramius glared at her.

"Go."

And even Yzak was quiet when they walked away.

OO

Meer felt nauseous and she wasn't sure why. Opening her eyes to a bright sunlight that seemed to burn into retinas she felt the overwhelming urge to throw up. But thankfully she didn't as she realized why the world was in motion.

"Ath-Athrun." She mumbled with a groan.

"You're fine." Athrun mumbled as he gently laid her on the warm parkinglot. Sirens were filling the air and he smiled down at her, his green eyes gleaming. "Help is coming."

Meer smiled up at him. "You saved me." She said dazed and Athrun held in a chuckle.

"More like pulled you from a car."

A teacher kneeled beside him and with a nod, Athrun stood up and walked away out of Meer's sight and she sighed wistfully despite herself.

OO

"Oi! Athrun!"

Athrun paused on the way to his car in time to see Cagalli run up. He smiled slightly, raising a hand to shade his eyes from the sunlight. "Cagalli." He dipped his head in greeting.

Panting slightly, Cagalli asked. "What happened? You were there, right?"

Athrun shrugged. "One of them was turning and they hit eachother, that's all."

"I hope Shiho will be alright…And Meer."

"They should be fine- their airbags absorbed most of the impact. Though, Shiho's car looks like it's seen it's last."

Cagalli snorted. "I doubt it, Shiho loves that ol' thing."

Athrun slid into the driver's seat, looking up, hesitating. "Would you like a ride home?"

Cagalli blinked in surprise then shook her head. "Sorry, I'm catching a ride with some friends." Behind her Athrun noticed a boy calling for Cagalli.

"I'll be there in a sec, Ahmed!" she yelled back before turning to face Athrun again with a small smile. "See ya later, right?"

Feeling slightly disappointed but not quite sure why, Athrun nodded, smirking. "Tutoring. Five o'clock. Wouldn't forget it for the world."

Cagalli gave him a funny look. "The things you look forward to." And with a shake of her blonde hair, she sprinted away to the tan boy who greeted her happily.

Athrun shook himself slightly with a sigh. _What in the world is wrong with me? _He thought as he revved his engine, feeling an odd irritation for the stranger whom Cagalli was talking to.

OOOO

Miriallia raised her camera and took a few snap-shots of the damaged cars infront of her. "Hmmm, should do it in black and white." She murmured to herself, already picturing the pictures on the front page of the school's gazette.

Straightening up, she turned to walk away when she heard a boy calling to her. Curiously, she turned to see a tall boy with dark hair and dark eyes squinting at her.

"Um, can I help you?" she asked, walking closer.

The boy grinned. "Are you Miriallia Hawwe?"

"Uh, yes?" Miriallia felt a small smile cross her face. The boy kinda reminded her of her self in an odd way. Corky, different and proud of it. He had that cute nerd look that Miriallia could never resist. She shifted her weight to her left hip, fiddling with her camera.

"I'm Tolle Koenig- the transfer from the other school."

Miriallia's eyes lit up. "Oh! Pleasure to meet you." She shook his hand excitedly. "And welcome to our highschool."

The two grinned at eachother and then Tolle gestured to the accident. "Are the drivers okay?"

Miriallia nodded. "I already spoke to both of them and they'll be fine and back in school in three days tops." She was bouncing on the toes of her feet.

Tolle glanced at her, grinning slightly. "Now tell me, is it this exciting every day?"

OOOOOO

"Cagaaalli." Kira sighed, looking down at the recent text message from his sister.

"What's wrong, Kira?" Lacus stood at his side, peering up at him curiously.

Glancing at his sister's best friend, Kira grimaced, gesturing at the cellphone. "Cagalli ditched me. I was going to walk home by the dealer ship and look for a new car. Cagalli was going to help me do price comparisons, though seeing as neither of us are good at math…" he rolled his eyes.

Lacus fidgeted slightly before smiling. "I can help you. I know a lot about cars too."

Kira gave her a funny look- "you do?"

Lacus grinned. "Betcha you never would've guessed that." She tossed her pink hair over one shoulder before continuing. "Before my mom married my dad she came from a family of all guys and a long line of car-mechanics. It was kinda against the family law for me to grow up with out learning a lot about cars."

Kira smiled, taken aback but feeling interest for the first time. "So you're into cars too?"

Lacus hesitated, part of her wanting to say yes, thinking that that was what Kira wanted to hear. But as always she was honest. "Well, no. Not really." She laughed softly, glancing shyly up at Kira with azure eyes.

Kira laughed, running a hand through his thick brown hair. "Understandable. And you're welcome to come if you don't feel it will be a waste of time."

Lacus's heart gave a soft pound in her chest and she beamed at Kira. "I would love to help." _Cagalli…I hope you don't kill me when you find out…_

**I know there wasn't a lot of asucaga kinda stuff- but right now I'm just trying to set up the characters, but don't worry- next chapter we'll be focusing on the tutoring lesson ;) Poor Athrun hasn't figured out that Cagalli isn't a Junior – live on in your delusions, Athrun**

**I'm kinda loving how I have Shin and Lunamaria set up. Captain of the Swimteam, health nut, yoga lover and then Shin, gang-boy and delinquent**

**I wonder how things are going to sort out for homecoming- especially with Miriallia ;)**

**And Athrun once he finds out :O**

**Anyway, Happy New Year, please review :)**

**Azetta**


	4. 4: In which tutoring goes astray part 1

**Ohaiyo! I'm back i'm back i'm back in business! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! :D**

**Anyway, I want to start off saying that I have missed you all, you guys rock my socks off and that you deserve magical chocolate chip cookies that look like Haros.**

**IMPORTANT! Read the below stuff in bold please D:**

**Two important polls I would love to hear your reviews on -**

**1. I have two different plots for Blame the Dog. One of them is just the other plot but with a lot more to it. A lot. Not to mention slightly more serious in the end and a bit more drama.**

**2. I'm debating about giving Lacus a pet ( I have a story for that if i do) should I? And what kind of pet?**

**Also guys, if ever you feel like the incidents with Chewie are over doing it I want you to know that just about everything that Chewie does my dog has also done. For example. The events in this chapter ARE based off true stories.**

**Sadly.**

**Anyway, now on to my chapterly replies (feel free to skip ahead ^_^ )**

**Sandyx5- Omg, I really can't wait to portray a jealous Dearka. I don't know why but I have a few things planned for that happening. Hopefully It will be fun for everyone, if not Dearka. XD And I wouldn't dare give up this fic! And I really love what I've got planned for Shin. I mean the whole 'delinquent' thing is stereo typical but I can't help it. And yes, Meer is a Junior.**

**Cagallifan- hahahhahahahha, omg, I was so tempted to write that into the story "Oh God, what's wrong with MEEEEE?" at the one part he finds out but I couldn't go through to it (partially cuz I was laughing to hard and partially cuz if Athrun was a real person I'm sure he would hunt me down and hang me by my toes). And LunaXTolle. Yeah...that was random to me to. I still don't know where I came up with that... O.o**

**Sakehime- Athrun think's she's a junior cuz,,,um.,,, cuz I said so. :P :D**

**Fate Camiswhil - awww, thank you :) And I have actually checked out the Asucaga fanpage a long time ago when I first started reading your "Flock of feathers" (can't remember the new title -.- ) And now i'm just really curious as to what the controversial issues are that would have fanfiction to delete it... I met someone who fell asleep with their eyes open - it was hilarious! As to the pokemon thing- I grew up watching pokemon, digimon, beyblades and all that fluff with my brothers so I tend to know more the average norm. lol And over protective brothers are terrifying- i have five! And would you believe that i had to reread the 'Athrun going jelly" comment over and over again until I realized that 'jelly' stood for Jealous. omg,,,, I so stupid! Oh and the lovely lady comment was intended. By the way, thanks for updating the "flock of feathers" story (or whatever it's titled now) as soon as I upload this I'm heading over their to check out the newest chapters :3 Oh and Puzzlepuzzle needs to come back and finish his/her sequel to 'The Isle' :D i wish we had like some sorta bat signal except one addressed to Puzzlepuzzle XD**

**WritingKnightmare- Why is there an asshole on your back O.o that's awkward... XD hahahahhahahahaha jkjkjk bah, i'll ttyl lol XD**

**StubbornHeroine- Ahhhh, I would love to tell you why it means so much to Athrun... But I'll just settle for telling you that it has to do with how he was raised. Normally i try and avoid pointing out my own little story gigs, but if you noticed you really don't know too much about Athrun's past as to why he moved there or where his parents are...**

**xoxodork- YES I DID AND THE TEST WAS ABSOLUTE HELL! XD The things we had to do -.- I will never have the horror of doing again. Ever eat a raw egg straight from the shell? Yeah,,, don't... It's gross.**

**Meyrin-X-Zaftgirl - Thank you :) and since you seem like a Meyrin fan (call it a lucky guess xD) I would love to hear your thoughts on a character people tend to hate. I plan to include her at some point but sadly my own understanding of her character is depressingly lacking...**

**Ignighted- Thanks :D Question- when is homecoming normally done? Lol, I have no flipping clue as to when the homecoming dance, cuz I'm a homeschooler, except that it's sometime soon after school starts? If you know and could add that in your review that would be fantastic!**

**ESP- Dude, that man owned! I feel so bad for him about what happened within his family :( And yes the carcrash was veeeery important :P Yes, -.- omg i don't know how other school fic writers do it... I can hardly keep track of everyone it's ridiculous. It's like having a ton of bunnies that all look the same and trying to sort them to their name... lol, that rhymed.**

**elgnis rekresreb - Man, I have felt awful for leaving y'all hanging. and thx for letting me know about the name change- though I have to ask, what inspired the new screen name?**

**THANKS EVERYONE FOR R&Ring, it means the world :) Also, super sorry for the delay.**

**I must also apologize, this chapter is not as funny as my previous :( it has some more seriousness to it, I believe...**

**Also, remember, everything that chewie does, my dog has probably done as well ...**

**This chapter is dedicated to Yennefer and her fish which are hopefully still alive :D**

**ENJOY!**

**Chapter 4: In which Tutoring Goes Astray Part 1**

With fifteen minutes to spare before five, Cagalli hopped out of the shower, running her fingers through her wet hair. Steam flooded the little bathroom from her hot shower and her skin tingled warmly.

She had gotten home hardly ten minutes ago covered in paint thanks to Ahmed. The two of them, after splitting from their other friends and making a goofy scene in a craft store, had put together two creative signs for their hospitalized friends. Thinking about it, Cagalli felt her cheeks warm and she hurriedly wrapped a towel around herself. Kira still wasn't home and her mom was outside in the garden so when she exited the bathroom she couldn't stop herself from doing a happy dance up and down the hall way. Drops of water flicked from her damp hair, sliding down her face.

She closed her eyes for a brief second, feeling her heart thrum under her warm skin.

Her time with her friends. Joking and laughing harder then she thought she ever could.

Chasing Ahmed around a craftstore only to get soaked with glitter when Ahmed accidently tipped a bottle over her head (He thought it was on the 'sprinkle' side, not the completely open side). Then heading over to Ahmed's house where she met his parents and they had spent an hour or so laughing and splattering eachother with paint in his garage as they put together two huge signs that looked more like paintball gun targets then get-well cards. Er, she and Ahmed. Not her and his parents.

Oh well.

Just as she was doing a twirl, feeling rather girlish, a wary notion popped inside her head.

The house…it was quiet… Too quiet.

She paused, feeling a chill run down her spine and for a moment it felt as if the walls on either side of her were looming closer.

There was no sound. Nothing…

What could this mean?

Taking a deep breath to ease her wary conscious, Cagalli called out. "Chewie? Cheeeewie?"

For a moment there was nothing and her heart boomed rather loudly in her head as newspaper headlines flashed through her mind along the lines of 'Young girl found murdered along with dead dog carcass' and then… oh wait… 'dead dog carcass'…that's an oxymoron isn't it?

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Paws thudded on the wood floor of the hall way as a brown blur shot out of her room past her, around the corner and then down the stairs to the first floor.

Cagalli groaned into the palm of her hand. "Idiot." She called herself before skipping back to her room, her towel tightly secure around her body.

Before hopping in the shower she had set out a new clean pair of clothes on her bed and as she walked into her room, she put her hands on her hips.

"What the pug?" she muttered, her brow furrowing.

There were her jeans, her shirt, her undies but where the heck was her…

Her eyes widened in realization and her fists clenched. "Chewie."

OOOOO (A/N: Events kinda like this have happened to me…)

Being a promptly early fellow that he was, Athrun arrived five minutes early to Cagalli's house. Walking up the drive he saw a dark-haired lady, her face lined with a few wrinkles but other wise smooth and glowing with health and happiness. Spotting him, she tipped up her sun-hat and smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. Dirt was smeared over her knees where she kneeled amongst the flower beds, and also on her gloved-hands.

"Hi there! You must be the gentleman that Cagalli was talking about."

"I suppose Ma'am." Athrun had been raised with a strict set of manners and he ducked his head respectfully as she straightened up, a gardening shovel in one hand.

"Ahmed, right?"

Athrun flushed darkly, glad she couldn't quite see his face and he felt a tiny tinge of disappointment and resentment. Shaking his head and forcing a small chuckle he told her. "No. I'm Athrun Zala; I came to tutor her."

"You are a brave soul." Val Hibiki said with a knowing nod of her head. "Not many live after seeing a Cagalli-sized math tantrum."

Athrun bit his bottom lip, his amusement helped dim the sting of her previous words.

"Well, you're not here to talk to me. Go right on in and feel at home." She kneeled back down into the narrow lane of flowers that bordered each side of the brick-walk way leading up to the front door.

Athrun nodded his hand and walked past her, hesitating for only a minute before opening the front door, taking a deep breath.

"Caga-"

Hardly had he said her name when she appeared, chasing a brown bullet.

And she was wearing a pink towel. And that was it.

Some things people wish they could forget. And some things you know you should forget but deep down inside you wish you could burn the image into your retinas so you never forget it. Ever.

Athrun's eyes went wide as he took in the sight of the red-faced Cagalli stumbling after Chewie down the hall.

Chewie's eyes seemed to light up as he spotted Athrun and with a burst of speed he leapt at Athrun just as Cagalli gave a roar of out rage.

Athrun didn't know who collided first. Chewie and him? Or Cagalli and Chewie.

Next thing he knew though, he was flat on his back, half way in the house with a dog ontop of him and a…towel-clothed girl on top of the dog.

_Is this what they call a threesome these days? 'Cause that's just gross. _An idle and sarcastic part of his brain wondered as he tried to keep his eyes trained on anything but the partially clothed chest above him. And he wasn't talking about the dog's.

"Athrun!" squeaked Cagalli, her face blushing beet red as she looked down at him, her fingers locked around Chewie's mouth. "What are you doing- I mean…What…" and then in an undertone she hissed something that sounded like: Son of an anchovy!

Athrun hesitantly looked up at her, seeing her wide amber eyes, her blonde hair still damp and sticking to her skin and her bare shoulders and her…

He snapped his head to the side, a warmth rising in his skin as he struggled not to smile. "Um, normally I don't mind people throwing themselves at me- but…"

With a start, Cagalli scrambled back, clutching her pink towel to her but the damage was done- and even worse so as she stood still above him. The fluffy, big towel only covered from half way down her chest to just some down her thighs. It would have been appropriate as a dress length but as a towel- no sirree. Everything else was just bare, cream-colored skin.

Thank God Kira wasn't here because if he saw Athrun sta-

"Are you staring?" Cagalli demanded, her anger seeming to battle with her embarrassment. Chewie got up, sitting beside Cagalli and looking down at Athrun like a judge on their podium. Taking Athrun's prolonged silence as an answer, Cagalli took one menacing step forward, her arms starting to lift up only to snap back down in front of her chest as she instantly changed her mind. Instead of an offensive approach, she scurried back, glowering indignantly at him from a few feet away.

Athrun scrambled up right. "No!" he hurriedly lied, looking else where once again, searching for something else to say. "I'm here for the-"

"Oh my God! Cagalli!" shrieked a voice and both Cagalli's and Athrun's head snapped around at the sound of her mother's voice.

Cagalli winced as Val gaped openly at Cagalli.

"What are you doing in a towel in front of a young man!" screamed her mother.

"I just got out of the shower!" Cagalli yelled back, her face red in embarrassment and anger.

"That's no reason!"

"Chewie-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Val put her hand to her head as if to calm herself and Athrun could of sworn she muttered something like 'you gotta watch kids these days. From tomboy to tramp. It's almost over night…'. Louder she said. "Please just go dress before you have the entire neighborhood ogling at you."

Athrun went red at her implication. "Ma'am," he began only to hear Chewie yelp as Cagalli ripped a pink cloth-object from his mouth. It kinda looked like a bra…

"I'll take that, thank you very much!" she snarled at her dog before stomping up the stairs. With every foot clomp she snarled. "I." Clomp! "Hate." Clomp. "My." Clomp. "Darn." Clomp. "Dog!" and repeat.

Feeling Mrs. Hibiki's glower on him and trying to break the ice Athrun said timidly. "Never a dull moment here, eh?"

That seemed to do it as Mrs. Hibiki made a cross against her chest as if to ward of evil. "Try living here." She snorted and walked away.

A minute passed and a fully clothed Cagalli came whizzing down the stairs once again, a blush still frozen on her face as she shooed Chewie out through the hall, kitchen and out the back door. "And stay out there, you stupid mutt!" she shouted after Chewie, scowling murderously before heading into a small family room where a pile of school books had been stacked on the floor.

The den room was brightly lit by floor lamps, a small, empty fire place stood opposite a tiny, beat-up leather couch and an unused dog bed lay in a corner littered in shoes and random objects including what seemed to be a shirt, a half-chewed plunger and a tire jack.

"Is that a-" Athrun asked, his eyes wide as he sat on the edge of the brown couch, his jeans grazing the edges of a clear-glass table that was framed with dark wood.

"Don't ask." Cagalli hissed, taking a seat on the floor across from him. "When it comes to Chewie- just don't ask."

"Hm. Gotcha." Trying to switch her focus from thoughts of first-degree murder he gestured to her school book. "What are you having trouble with?"

Cagalli blinked, momentarily distracted as she pulled her school book onto the table. Gnawing on her lip she glanced at him hesitantly from the corners of her eyes. "All of it?" Absentmindedly she reached up and began combing tangles of her wet hair with her fingers, still looking anywhere else but him. A tear-drop of water clung stubbornly to a strand of hair and with a huff of irritation she shook her head like a dog ridding it's self of water and Athrun couldn't help but laugh softly as he fended off a spray of tiny droplets.

When she stopped- her hair a frizzy cloud about her face, she began the task of combing it once again, a scowl across her face, her eyes cast to one side and a blush growing darker on her skin.

_God, she is cute. _Athrun shook himself slightly but was unable to resist the slight tug on his mind that she had.

As if she knew what he was thinking about, Cagalli frowned and glared at him. "You're going to forget that ever happened, right?"

Athrun looked up at her blazing amber eyes, noticing the subtle hint of girlish embarrassment sparkling in her eyes. "What happened?" he said slowly with a casual shrug. He probably would have gotten away with that statement and a 'case-closed' if only he hadn't smirked. Could he help that he smirks? No.

Cagalli's eyes went wide once again and she scowled. "If you can't keep your mind out of the gutter then I don't want you to tutor me." Her cheeks were flaming now and she glared at the tire jack as if it had let her down some how.

"I'm good." Athrun laughed, raising his right hand in the air. "Scout's honor."

"Wish Chewie had half that decency." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Athrun sighed, realizing that they were never going to get over that moment any time soon at the way they were tackling it. "Okay, let's restart." He held out his hand and she raised her eyebrow. "Hi, I'm Athrun Zala."

She remained frozen and for a moment Athrun wondered if she was really angry. And then she snorted, snickering slightly. "Athrun, you're way too much of a gentleman." She giggled, shaking his hand promptly. "Hi, I'm Cagalli and I'm about to make your life hell."

And with that cheery thought in mind…

"Okay." She straightened up, recovering her cheerfulness as she flipped through pages of the algebra book.

Athrun frowned, watching as she pointed out examples of what she was struggling with in class. "You're only in Algebra?"

She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. "Duh. I'm a freshman, doofus. I think you had a sniff too many of my dog's breath."

"Daaaang." Athrun whispered, his eyes widening slightly.

"Hm?" she watched him curiously. "You say something?"

"Uh...I…uh…" he scrambled madly for a reply. "You think I'm high?"

Cagalli looked at him in exasperation. "You want to teach _me _algebra; how can you _not_ be high?"

Athrun shrugged and grinned. "I look at it as a challenge. Plus I'm sure it will look nice on my résumé. 'The Taming of The Lioness.'."

Cagalli glared at him. "Ha. Ha. You're hilarious- now why don't you take that little bundle of humor and shove it-wait…did you just call me a lioness?" she cocked her head to the side, considering it and then looking pleased.

"Merely pointing out your ability to tear people's faces off."

Cagalli narrowed her eyes to gleaming slits. "Whatever Kira told you isn't true. If you want to leave with your face intact I suggest you choose another subject to talk about or shut up."

"Now, now, don't be modest." Athrun grinned.

Cagalli studied her nails for before replying sweetly. "Athrun, this is your last chance. I suggest you use it wisely."

"Oh really?"

"I have the power to kill you and make it look like an accident. Do not tempt me."

Athrun tried to disguise his laugh as a cough.

Cagalli shot him a poisonous look before saying slowly. "Actually, I have a question."

Trying to keep a straight face, Athrun asked. "Yes?"

"Did Kira put you up to this?"

At Kira's name Athrun's face went pale. _Anything but! _He thought. "Sure…" he said, tugging on his collar. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm just still trying to figure out why you would want to help me. I mean, nobody in there right mind ever offers to help me with math. It's just a major Don't; like, you Don't mix mustard and ketchup and you Don't let your brother be the one to choose the family pet."

Athrun shrugged. "Out of the kindness of my heart?"

"You don't have a heart. No one who drives like you has a heart." Cagalli retorted, her expression smooth.

Athrun grinned. "Glad to see it's still on your mind."

"Sad to see you don't have a mind."

Athrun raised an eyebrow. "That's all you got."

Cagalli raised her fist threateningly into the air. "No- why? Did you want more? 'Cause I can give you a Chewbacca-sized-"

"Cagalli!" called Miss. Hibiki as she stepped into the kitchen, peeling her garden gloves off her hands. "Glad to see you dressed."

Cagalli went red and glared furiously at Athrun as he smirked back at her.

"Have you been a good hostess, Cagalli?" her mother asked as she examined something on the table. (**A/N: My mom does that to me all the time "Have you been a good hostess? Huh? Have you?" )**

Athrun grinned slightly as Cagalli scowled.

"I would like some water." Athrun told her cheerfully and she made a gesture at him as if to throttle him.

"Well, you heard him, Cagalli. Get him some water." Mumbled her mother as she walking back out. A moment later the front door slammed close.

Cagalli slowly stood up. "Temptation is telling me to pour some cleaning chemicals in your water."

"But you wouldn't do that because it would reflect badly on your hostess abilities."

Cagalli frowned. "Plus it's not painful enough. You deserve better." Better?

"Thanks…I think."

As Cagalli darted from the room, Athrun let out a long breath before grinding his face into his palm, the thoughts that had been clamoring to be heard exploding in his mind.

_Holy shoefly- what the heck? She's a Freshman?_

To some people, that wouldn't mean much. To Athrun, who was raised with the belief that certain age groups should stay with certain age groups it was like a nuke had been dropped on him. A Chewbacca-sized one.

This was grade D for Disaster.

_A freaking freshman? I could of sworn she was older! Not that that means anything. No. I can still tutor her. Nothing's changed. She's just two years younger then I thought she was- nothing big. Nothing- HOLY FRICK, I saw her practically naked! Thank God Kira wasn't here 'cause I totally saw her almost naked. I mean she's pretty, totally normal if someone stares, right? What the heck am I talking about- she's a friggen freshman. I'm only here to tutor her…for Kira's sake… Yeaaaah, that's all. Just some friendly concern for her…grades…_

Some rational part of his brain chuckled and mused. _Dang, you're screwed._

"Oh my God. What is he doing?"

"What? I mean, nothing!" Athrun snapped, his head jerking around at Cagalli's voice.

She raised her eyebrow at him, giving him a strange look before shrugging and walking towards him. "Nah, just saw Chewie acting weird. Probably just sniffing his own poop or something equally stupid." She hesitated, taking her seat. "Speaking of people acting weird…" she handed a glass full of water to Athrun before raising her own to her lips.

Athrun forced himself to relax before saying all…casually. "I didn't know you were a freshman. I thought you were a Junior."

Cagalli snorted into her drink, choking on the water. "Wh-what?" she coughed, laughing. "Me? A Junior?"

"You just seem…older." Was that an appropriate thing to say to a girl three years younger?

She brightened. "Thanks! And you're not as big as a pervert as I thought you were."

"Oh…thanks…" Athrun grimaced, making Cagalli laugh. "Are you always this blunt."

"Mhmm." She nodded, chewing on her bottom lip. "Mom says it's a gift and a curse."

"I have yet to see the good part of it yet." Athrun teased.

Cagalli rolled her eyes as she twirled a pencil in her hands. "You're just not listening hard enough." She looked down at the book and sighed before standing up, walking around the small coffee table to sit down beside Athrun. "There, so we're not trying to read things upside down." She spun the book around for them to read.

Athrun ducked his head, smiling slightly. Yes- there was some good aspects to her bluntness after all.

Scents of kiwi shampoo drifted off Cagalli's hair, distracting Athrun as they bent- hair brushing- over her school book.

"Okay, so you see this…how does this get from here to there?" Cagalli asked, pointing the pencil at various equations.

Athrun blinked and then settled down into explaining things to her.

Twenty minutes passed through which Cagalli had sworn continuously, threw her pencil in disgust and had threatened to feed the mathbook to the fireplace.

"Cagalli, calm down." Athrun felt torn between exasperation and amusement as he struggled to keep Cagalli sitting down as she yelled obscenities at her mathbook.

"No I won't, Mr. Pervert! This…this…unnecessary crap is taunting me! I can feel it! And why? It's not like I'll ever need it? Do these people think I'm not smart enough to live with out it?"

"Um…Actually I think they think you're smart enough to figure this out." Athrun tried not to laugh at her antics but Cagalli seemed to realize that he was getting more out of the tutoring then she was.

"You know." She pointed at him. "Laugh it up! Karma will get you though and then you'll have noone to feel sorry for you but yourself."

"You're ridiculous. And you're not making sense." Giving up on holding her still by her wrist, Athrun reached up and gave a slight squeeze to the sides of her neck.

It was almost as effective as the Vulcan Squeeze. (A/N: If any of you readers are Trekkies, then please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Athrun's mom had always done it to him when he was getting excited about something and it had always worked like magic. The slight pressure point seemed to instantly relax all the muscles.

And like Athrun had been, Cagalli was putty on the couch.

Her eyes looked up wondrously at him. "Whoa. How did you do that?" she gasped, rubbing her neck in awe, her emotions having done 180 spin. "That felt sooo good! Are you a professional massager?"

Athrun grimaced. "Just a trick my Mom taught me."

"Oh well, screw math." Cagalli hopped about so that her back was facing him and she tugged her blonde hair to the side. "Do it again!"

Athrun chuckled. "Cagalli- has anyone ever told you that you're just downright strange."

"Mhmm." She said, barely listening and with a sigh Athrun hesitantly reached forward to place one hand on the side of her neck.

"What are you waiting for?" Cagalli asked as a moment passed and Athrun had still not done anything.

"Are you like this with everyone?" Athrun wondered to himself quietly but Cagalli had heard.

She laughed. "Yeah. Pretty much. I'm blunt, remember?"

_And that's not really a bad thing after all… well, most of the time it isn't. _Athrun mused to himself.

Giving up and hoping like heck that Kira wouldn't appear, Athrun scooted forward and raised a second hand and began massaging her shoulders and neck lightly.

He felt a shiver ripple down her spine as she straightened up under his touch. "Mmmm, you're really good. That feel's amazing." She said dozily, leaning back slightly.

Athrun smiled. "Thanks. I guess."

"Is this how you pick up girls?"

He chuckled softly. "Usually, but normally I already have them won over by the car ride."

"If by 'won over' you mean 'about ready to puke' then you would be right. I'll guard my heart carefully." She laughed back.

"Against me? Surely not. My intentions are all brother-approved." Athrun said slowly, glad she couldn't see the slight grimace on his face.

"Kira. Kira. Kira." She sighed. "My chances of getting a boyfriend these days are zilch thanks to him."

He prodded her in the back and she jumped slightly. "Is that all you think about?"

"No." she turned back to face him, her legs crisscrossed. "I was just stating a fact. How about you?"

"Me? No, I must say I don't normally spend my time thinking about getting a boyfriend." Athrun rolled his eyes.

She paused in mid-breath to snort. "No, you doofus. I meant this." The blonde gestured to the math book and Athrun gave her a look of horror.

Her pink lips spread in a grin. "Kiiiidding. Kidding."

"Well anyway, you're doing a lot better. I mean, you figured out…how…to solve one type of problem."

Cagalli made a face at him. "I'm trying to pass, remember?"

Athrun smirked, shouldering her slightly. "We'll get there hotshot- don't worry."

"right." She sighed. "Baby steps. Dang baby steps."

"Are you going to start cursing again?"

"Only if it means you'll give me another message?" she replied back cheerfully.

Athrun laughed. "Nice try- back to work."

They worked for another hour, with repetitive Cagalli fits that only made Athrun shake his head in wonder. There was no hint of restraint about Cagalli. She thinks, therefore she does. If she had something to say then she said it.

For instance.

"Why the hell is your hair blue anyway? Not that it looks bad but I would definitely put it under 'unusual'."

"Cagalli…the math… focus on the math."

Or.

"God, the way you talk about math it's almost as if you're in a relationship with- my God, this explains everything! You moved here because you're in a relation ship with one of the math teachers!"

They were just reaching a difficult moment when Cagalli suddenly sat bolt up right, her head nearly smacking Athrun's in the process because they had been so close.

"Cagalli." Athrun warned, preparing himself mentally for another fit.

"Shhh…" she waved her hand at him, frowning as she gazed distractedly around the room. "Do you hear that?"

"What? I don't hear anything."

"Exactly." Her eyebrows furrowed and after a short pause she shook herself. "Never mind it's probably-"

"Cagalli!"

This time they both jumped as Mrs. Hibiki ran into the room, a cell phone in one hand.

"You know Janet Gibrowski?"

"Crazy lady who lives four blocks down? Yeah?"

"Well, you know how she hangs her clothes out to dry in her back yard?"

"I do now- yeah?"

Mrs. Hibiki took a deep breath, red splotches in her cheeks. "Well, some of her clothing is missing and she swore they were there a few moments ago."

Her words made no sense to Athrun but they apparently meant a lot to Cagalli as she shot up right from the couch and out the back door.

Mrs. Hibiki and Athrun winced as a howl echoed from outside.

"THAT STUPID SON OF A BEAGLE!" shrieked Cagalli storming back in, the door slamming close behind her.

"Chewie?" Athrun asked confused, standing up with the realization that the tutoring session was about to end.

"No! Kira!" she stomped her foot. "He said he had filled in that hole under the fence but oh-no-he-didn't!" Every footstep thudding, she slammed about the room, collecting a pair of shoes and a jacket.

"Oh good. So it was Chewie. That explains all the other calls about missing artifacts and the baby." Mrs. Hibiki slumped in an armchair by the fireplace, rubbing her forehead.

"Frigging going to kill- baby?" Cagalli paused in jerking her arm through a sleeve. Her jaw dropped slightly as she stared at her mother.

"Mrs. Collin's daughter is missing. She said she had only turned her back on her baby for a moment and the next both Shelia and the stroller she was in was gone."

Cagalli groaned. "My dog kidnapped someone… My dog is a criminal! We're sooooo dead."

"Do you need help?" Athrun asked, standing up, unsure if he should be smiling or not. "We can take my car and check around the houses."

Cagalli looked up at him, relief spilling out across her face. "Would you really?" to his surprise she hugged him. "That would be great, thank you."

Glancing at Mrs. Hibiki as if for approval, Athrun tentatively hugged her back.

_I just met her. I just met her. She's a freshman. She's Kira's little sister. I should not be hugging her. This a totally professional relationship, at the most a friendship._

Cagalli craned her neck back to look up at Athrun and she grinned. "Are you ready to hop fences, dive through hedges and chase the smartest and stupidest canine in the world?"

Oh the hell with it. "Ready when you are." Athrun said, flicking a chain of keys from his pocket.

OOO

An hour later a sleek black car pulled up in front of the Hibiki house, a sodden wet dog running along beside it. The riders in the car were scowling darkly as they got out of the car, dripping with water as they followed a happy pooch up the walk way.

"Oh my." Mrs. Hibiki said with out a hint of panic. "Chewie really got you guys."

Cagalli nodded, glaring at Chewie as he happily shook himself.

"I needed to water the garden anyway." Mrs. Hibiki admitted as she watched drops of water spray out from his thick coat. "Let me get you both towels- Athrun, your car isn't water-damaged in anyway is it?"

"No, Ma'am." Athrun mumbled accepting the towel she proffered two minutes later. He wiped his face and hair on it before handing it back. He only lived a few houses down so he wasn't in extravagant need of it.

After doing a quick dry-down of herself, Cagalli burst into a summary of their events, finishing with: "So we had just gotten the leash hooked up on him, right? And we were standing in Mr. Kessels back yard by his inground pool, right? Anyway, I was the one holding the leash when Chewie just ran circles with us, tying us up."

Boy did Athrun remember that moment well. Though they had only been back to back, he had been disarmingly aware of her small presence besides him.

"Well that stupid dog yanked us like a top and spun us into the pool! It was horrible!" she sighed. "Plus we got Mr. Gibrowski's bra wet."

"You mean, 'Misses', right?" Mrs. Hibiki raised her eyebrows.

"Nope." Athrun shook his head.

"I'm guessing the diet didn't work then." Mrs. Hibiki mused to herself, tucking the towel Cagalli handed her under her arm.

"Holy crap, what happened to you guys?"

Athrun jerked around at hearing Kira's voice, alarm bells ringing in his mind.

But to his surprise, Kira was walking up besides Lacus who looked equally mystified.

Cagalli raised her eyebrows at Lacus for a moment before glaring at Kira. "You idiot!"

"Oh dear." Mrs. Hibiki murmured, watching as Cagalli stomped forward. "This would be your chance to get away, Athrun. Use it well." And just like that she called "Dinner in an hour!" before scurrying into her home.

Lacus had already disappeared and Kira and Cagalli were already face to face yelling at eachother.

Inching around the quarreling siblings Athrun waved at Cagalli. "You did really good, we'll do this again, right?"

Cagalli's mouth froze in place and she stared at him in shock. Even Kira paused (which wasn't what Athrun had intended at all) to look at him.

"You still want to tutor me?" Cagalli gazed at him wide-eyed in disbelief.

"You survived tutoring my sister and you want to come back for more?" Kira echoed in the same tone.

Feeling uncomfortable with their attentions zoned in on him Athrun shrugged. "Sure, why not. I really don't mind."

Cagalli scowled. "Dammit! How do nice people like you end up with idiots like my brothers for friends? The world is just not fair!"

"Who are you calling an idiot?" Kira demanded.

"Obviously you! I told you _ages _ago to fill in that stupid hole Chewie dug under the fence, you stupid, numbskulled, peanut-brained, lazy-butt, son-of-a-jackle bumpkin!"

Athrun sighed, giving up and getting into his car.

He was wet. The tutoring hadn't gone quite at all the way he expected. He had seen Cagalli in a towel. And all he could still think was: A freshman? Cagalli is a freshman?

Not that he cared. Not. At. All.

Only as he was driving his car back across the street to his house did he hear Cagalli call out.

"See ya later!"

He smirked despite himself. Okay. Maybe just a bit.

OOOOOO

Lacus collapsed on her bed, burying her face into her pillows as she smiled. Her day had been fantastic. Beyond fantastic! As long as she lived she would never forget this!

How long had she had a crush on Kira? How long had she dreamed of spending time with him without Cagalli (who she loved like a sister) around?

She could remember the afternoon clearly and she giggled to herself in delight.

"_Wow, you really know your cars." Kira said admiringly as Lacus pointed out all the flaws of owning certain cars._

_She grinned. "Thanks, really. It means a lot."_

_The two of them were bent over the open hood of a used truck. Lacus's hair was pulled back into a neat pony tail and she had stolen Kira's extra ball-cap a while ago, wearing it back wards to keep her bangs out of her face._

_She leaned her elbows on the sun-warmed metal of the dark blue truck and gestured about explaining random facts that popped into her head. Kira, himself, was rather knowledgeable with cars (weren't all boys?) but even he didn't know as much as Lacus._

"_So is this what you want to do?" Kira asked a few minutes later as they walked away from the truck- he shot it one last longing look that Lacus noticed with amusement._

"_Yes? Well…No…" Lacus smiled in embarrassment. "I mean, I guess."_

_Kira smiled back at her, not needing to say anything but silently asking her to explain herself._

_For the first time in her life, Lacus found herself gazing up at him, deeply up at him into his violet eyes. How long has it been since he became more then 'Cagalli's older brother'? "Well…" she hesitated. "It was always my mom's dream for me to open up a car-fixing business with her." She laughed softly, shaking her head. "But then…" she heaved a breath. "Well, anyway… I just kinda wanted to carry on her dream…I mean, our dream."_

_Turning to face her fully, Kira leaned back against a car behind him, his head cocked to one side. "Is that really what you want to do?" he asked curiously, gently probing._

_Lacus turned her head to the side, tugging slightly on a stray lock of hair. "I don't know… Right now it doesn't seem like I have a choice." She shuddered slightly, remembering her father had told her a few days ago._

"_What do you mean?"_

_Lacus shook her self slightly. "Uh, nothing. I do love cars- more then anything."_

"_But?"_

"_But…if I could be anything in the world… I would love to be a singer." She shyly looked back at Kira who was watching her in return with a gentle look._

_For a moment she felt as if she could tell him everything, even the things she hadn't told Cagalli who she trusted so much with._

_Kira snapped his fingers. "Rrrright! You're in that band with my little sister!"_

_Something became cold inside of Lacus and feeling slightly disappointed she nodded. The way he spoke to her then reminded her that she was three years younger… _Forget that, he probably only views me as his sister's friend. _She sighed before looking around. "Well, I think we looked over this entire lot."_

"_Yeah," Kira nodded in agreement. "It is getting late."_

_She glanced up at him with a small smile. "Anything call out to you?"_

_His violet eyes hesitated for a moment on the truck then he shook his head. "No…actually. Is car searching always this annoying?"_

"_I wouldn't know really… well," she shrugged. "Most people already have a car in mind which makes it easier."_

_Kira looked at her blankly. "I just want a form of transport."_

_Lacus sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "Goodness, Kira, how are we ever-" then something occurred to her. "Wait! I have an idea!" and she grabbed by the hand and proceeded to pull him to a separate lot across the street that was owned by the same business._

"_Motorcycles?" Kira blinked in surprise when she gestured to the vehicles before them."_

"_Yes." Lacus smiled up at him. "Wind in your hair."_

"_Bugs in your teeth." He murmured back and she laughed._

_Though they both had to get back to their homes soon, Kira took a short ride on one of the bikes._

"_This really isn't hard to drive at all." Kira grinned as he pulled up to a stop besides one of the worker's and Lacus._

_The man who had helped them pick out a motorcycle to test and had explained how it worked smiled._

_Kira glanced at Lacus. "Want to try?"_

_Lacus's eyes widened in surprise. "I…I…"_

"_Come on, Lass," he grinned at her, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight._

_Lacus blushed slightly at his nickname for her. "I guess." Timidly, after glancing up at the worker to check if it was okay- it was- Lacus threw a leg over the motorcycle's leather seat, nervously wrapping her arms around Kira's chest. A blush stained her face as she felt Kira's heart beat distinctly through his skin and the warmth of his body graze hers._

_If Kira minded he didn't say anything._

_Her heart skipped a beat but it wasn't just because of how close, how wonderfully close she was to Kira, but because…of that day._

_Motorcycles. It had taken her along time to get over her hatred for them. And even now she felt a sweat breaking out on her skin. _It was years ago, I mustn't think of it. _She thought, and hoping he wouldn't pay it much attention, as Kira set the bike in motion, driving swiftly about, she pressed her face against his back. The wind tugged at her long hair as she struggled to hold on to Kira and to herself. Trying not relive her memories._

_She couldn't move on… So she had to ignore them. Ignore them or they would all come back and she could end up like her dad._

_The wind tugged on the cap above her head and with a startled yelp of surprise, Lacus jerked her head up in time to see the wind carry Kira's cap off her head and into the sky._

Lacus sighed, feeling slightly depressed at that note. She rolled over in her bed and gazed sadly at the picture of her mother on her nightstand, whispering the words that ran through her mind every day of her life since that moment so long ago. "Mom… I wish you were here."

OOOOOOO

"Hold on a second, dude," Dearka laughed, shoving Yzak slightly in the shoulder. They had just got done football practice and the two had been making their way down the empty hall way when Dearka had spotted something.

"Idiot- where are you going?" Yzak shouted at his friend, looking annoyed which was nothing new nor something to be concerned about.

"Relax, I'm not cheating on you." Dearka snickered. "Just going to go check on something."

Yzak muttered something as he turned away that sounded strangely like. "Go screw yourself." Which, knowing Yzak, it probably was.

Grinning widely, Dearka trotted happily down the hall way, heading to the school's tiny news room where he would happily bet his next Mystery Meat lunch that Miraillia would be. And sure enough she was there, but surprisingly, not alone.

Dearka hesitated at charging into the room at the unfamiliar sight of another boy in the room.

_He must be the transfer. _Dearka hesitated, feeling strangely uncomfortable at the sight of Milly and the boy working so closely together over something. For a moment he felt awkward, as if he was looking into their private world of journalism where he didn't belong.

The two were obviously getting along well. Dearka wasn't dense, he knew chemistry between people when he saw it. Heck, he started chemistry quite often with people- a fact he was quite proud of. But this…unsettled him.

They were chattering, a warm blush on Milly's face as she seemed to laugh at whatever the boy was saying.

Dearka released the door knob in his hands and he felt torn, conflicted and not quite sure why.

"Dearka!"

He blinked, spinning around to see Lunamaria jogging up. Since Meer was in the hospital, Lunamaria had offered to sub in for her during cheerleading practice.

"Oh, hey Luna."

She came to a stop, giving him a strange look. "Are you alright?"

Dearka blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know…" she stared at him looking confused. "You're just…acting normal…that's all."

Dearka stared at her, not comprehending and then a grin broke out across his face. "I knew it! I knew you liked it when I hit on you!"

As he knew she would, Luna snorted. "Come on, Yzak's waiting for you- what are you doing over here anyway?"

"Er," Dearka opened his mouth but it was too late as Luna peered over his shoulder into the news room.

Instead of looking faintly surprised, to his bewilderment, Luna's face seemed to darken slightly. "What is he doing there?" she demanded sharply.

Dearka raised his eyebrows slightly. "Are you jealous?" he grinned.

"Shut up," she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

Dearka frowned. "Hey- I don't know what's bothering you but-"

She sighed, cutting him off. "Sorry, I'm sorry. Okay? I just…wanted to know."

"Well, he's the transfer from the other highschool's news team or whatever." _I'm not exactly happy about him either._

Luna glared hard at the boy for only moment longer before tossing her head and walking away. "Come on. We've got bigger fish to fry."

"Yeah whatever that means," Dearka snorted, reluctantly following her down the hallway towards Yzak…and away from Milly.

OOOO

**A/N: I know this isn't the spot for an authors note but in the up coming scene I make a reference to someone as a 'Yank'. I was once told that delinquents or just tough people in general are blonde and depicted as 'Yanks' in mangas/animes. So in other words when someone calls someone a 'Yank' they are pretty much calling them a delinquent. This may not be true, I have no idea and I'm probably totally wrong but that was what I figured so, please, if I'm wrong, pm me so I don't feel like a doofus… :D Okay, keep reading :D**

Shiho couldn't stand Meer. Couldn't. Simply. Could. Not.

It wasn't a prejudice, really. Ever since fifth grade when Meer had pantsed her in front of the entire school she knew they wouldn't really get along. Since then they had grown up of course- but still there was an undertone of dislike between them.

A dislike that didn't stop Meer from chattering on about the new, hot senior.

"And he's soooo cool! I can't get over the fact that he pulled me from the car."

Shiho resisted the urge to groan. Whosever idea it was to put them in a hospital room together was going to pay dearly.

Okay, if she was to be honest, Meer really had grown up to be a really nice person. But, some people get along better with some people and others not at all.

Shiho and Meer would be example 'A' of 'not at all'.

"Just suffocate her with my pillow, that's all." Shiho muttered.

"OMG." Meer gasped and Shiho looked over to see the pink-haired girl examining her cellphone.

"What?"

"This picture is terrible!"

"What picture?"

"Milly took a few pictures of the car crash and just sent them to me to ask for our permission to use them in the newspaper."

Shiho rolled her eyes. "That chick is fast."

"Too fast. She didn't give me time to fix myself one bit." Meer looked broken hearted and Shiho snorted rudely.

"Meer. Of all the things to be worried about you chose your appearance? Ditz."

"Butch!" Meer snapped back instantly and Shiho hissed.

"I'm not a butch, bitch!"

"Yank!"

Shiho felt her skin flush in anger- that one had hit home.

Shiho had grown up in a rather…well… trashed up home. Dad had hit the trails. Mom was supposed to be recovering from addiction but Shiho knew she still did drugs and got drunk at bars. Not to mention gambled what little she made working at a convenience store. It was why most of their bills weren't paid and Shiho's beloved car was probably not going to be fixed for a long time. Which was bad because if Shiho couldn't drive then she couldn't drive to the near by juvenile detention center where she did odd jobs for money.

Pathetic as it sounded, she knew the juvenile detention center and it's residents almost as well as her own home and family having spent years attending punishment there before her sophomore year. She hadn't done anything so-so bad but she had been there enough that all the workers knew her history and her name and many of the youth were friends.

She was the legendary Shiho there. Respected and loved. She probably was paid more attention there then by her own mom.

Shiho used to be into a little bit of everything, drinking, stealing, fighting- whatever. People had suggested it was because of her parents. Of her upraising. They tried to sort her into a category- tried to find a justifiable way to explain her actions and pity her.

Poor Shiho. Stuck with a dead beat mom and no father. Stuck having to meet the bills by working super hard and attend school and get As. Poor Shiho. No wonder she acts so out of hand.

She hated it. She hated being categorized. Hated having adults cluck their tongues in sympathy and point her out to their children and tell them to be super nice to her.

Acting out, doing whatever she wanted no matter the punishment. She had loved it. Loved it because it made her feel like she could effect things and not just be 'the effected'.

That had changed in her sophomore year when she had gotten a taste of salvation. Yup, bad ass Shiho was really just a tough-hided Jesus-lover. Hardly a good one, but one who tried none the less.

Okay and she got distracted and violent and her temper could match Yzak's but she still tried her darndest to be good. Underline tried.

Oh well. Anyway.

"Chuck that to me…" Shiho hesitated before relenting. "Please?"

Meer rolled her eyes and shrugged before handing her phone across.

Shiho examined the picture loaded up in the small screen.

In the back ground she could see the end of her lovely car. "Poor baby," she mumbled unhappily. "I'll get you all together, I promise."

In front of it was Athrun and Cagalli, leaning down beside her and Meer. In the back ground she could see teachers and surprisingly Yzak pushing their way through the crowd to get to them.

Feeling slightly foolish, she stared at the picture, trying to decipher something…

"You look fine for an unconscious girl." She said sarcastically handing the phone back a moment later.

Meer laughed. "I guess you have a point."

"Oh good." Shiho trailed off when she felt her elbow being tugged on fromm the other side. She turned to face a little girl who was staring up at her, grinning.

"Uh…hi there." She said confused to the girl who was standing up in tiptoe at the side of her bed.

"Hi!" the girl had chest-nut colored hair and wide, sparkling eyes. She wore a hospital gown that failed to hide the obvious unhealthy pallor of her skin and the slightly boniness to her frame. "What's your name?"

"I'm Shiho."

Meer shifted in her bed to peer around Shiho curiously at the little girl.

"Oh, that's a cool name. I'm from right down hall. My room look's just like yours but I have it all to myself." She said it proudly as if it was a huge deal and Shiho exchanged a quick glance with Meer.

"Oh, that's so cool." Meer said, taking over when she realized that Shiho seemed to not be progressing well. "And where's your mommy?"

"She had to go to be an angel and help other kids." The little girl fiddled with her gown. Shiho's heart clenched. "Daddy's with her too. They had to leave years ago."

Shiho swallowed before taking a shaky breath, her eyes focused on the girl.

"Do you guys go to highschool?"

They nodded and she peered up with curiosity in her eyes. "Is it fun?"

Truthfully it totally wasn't at times but Shiho felt compelled to say. "It's not perfect but nothing in life is…so…yeah. It can be fun."

"Elementary was a lot of fun. But then I had to leave to come here." The girl said with a shrug. "Do you got to Angel Highschool?"

They nodded understanding what she meant and surprised at her quick guess.

The girl giggled before saying. "I'm going to be an Angel too one day but I don't need to go to highschool for that." She furrowed her brow as if she was trying to solve a complex question. "Somebody special told me I'm going to be a special angel and that I'll get to take care of other kids like me…" she shrugged. "I just like the idea of being an Angel and having white wings and being all pretty."

Somebody seemed to call for her outsides the room and a moment later a nurse poked her head in. "There you are! Escaped again! Get back here!" she smiled affectionately at the little girl. "And what do you think you're doing out here?"

The little girl scuffled her feet. "I'm just bored." She said softly before turning back to Shiho and Meer. "I got to go. Come see me again! Promise!" and with out waiting for a response she darted away with the nurse leaving Meer and Shiho stunned.

"Oh." Shiho murmured. "An Angel…Do you think she meant…?"

Meer was dabbing at her eyes with her sheet. "Oh gosh, suddenly my looks don't feel so important…is my eye liner smeared?"

Shiho sighed. "Yes. All over."

Meer started to cry harder.

"That girl… I wonder." Shiho looked back at Meer and said. "Let's come back. Meer."

"Huh?" Meer stared at her in shock. "What? One kid has you coming back? You? Have you been hit on the head recently?"

Shiho glared at her.

"Oh, right, car crash. Stupid question." Meer sighed, studying her nails. "Well, if it doesn't interfere too much I guess I'll come back. That girl…she looked kinda lonely."

"Sometimes, Meer, I realize…you're not so dense after all." Shiho breathed under her breath before collapsing onto her pillows as another headache came on.

But she couldn't stop thinking about that little girl and the simple, childish words she had said.

Shiho was never one to be effected by deep philosophical things. It was the simple, endearing things that got to her. And though she had heard stories of children suffering, knew hundreds of names of suffering children this was the first time she looked an obviously dying child in the eye and realized…just how lucky she was.

Sure her parents weren't exactly all together but at least she had a chance at living a full life. That was more then that little girl could say.

And suddenly Shiho wanted to be that little girl's friend if only to make her life just a little bit fuller.

OOOOO

Cagalli's pov

"Cagalli, dear, you need to clean up the stuff in the den."

Cagalli looked up from the music scripts spilled out in front of her at the sound of her mother's voice echoing up the stairs. "Just a sec, Mom." She called as she turned back to her work, tapping her beat in a rythem. "Da, da, da." She hummed softly as smacked out a beat with her pencil on the page, marking notes here and there.

Music writing was a hobby of hers, one she never really indulged in, unless she felt inspired. Which was pretty often actually and she had a whole drawer full of half-written songs that she would start composing for the band and then never finish.

Lacus always would ask her to write something but everything she seemed to write just died on the page. She wanted to write good stuff, not half-good stuff.

Her amber eyes scanned the page as she absentmindedly sucked on the eraser end of her pencil.

_It's a feeling I can't name_

_I know things will never be the same_

_Because of you_

_It's all on you._

_I don't know why you're in my mind_

_Driving me crazy all the time_

_Since I met you_

_I can't stop thinking about you_

_You're a riddle I can't solve-_

"Dammit." Cagalli cursed, unable to think up another line. She closed her eyes, trying to think of something to inspire her. She shifted through her day with Ahmed but nothing helped.

Then something flashed through her head. Tied up in a leash with Athrun before they were being dragged into the pool. The sight of Athrun's face as he choked on water, trying to stop laughing as they struggled ashore.

Erasing the last line of her poem she began again.

_You've got me spinning like a top._

_I don't ever want to stop_

_I'm all tied up in you._

_It's true_

_I love you_

Now she was getting somewhere

**So yes, everyone seems to have their own back story and you're finding out Shihos. I plan to give just about everyone some kind of backstory that I will reveal through out the story.**

**I must apologize for not keeping facts in my story consistent. I am a scatter brained idiot, so I tend to forget minor facts that are part of important facts so if you ever catch a pothole in my plot be sure to let me know! :)**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I hate to say this, but tons of reviews are a huge motivator for more chapters, sooner ;) You other writers probably understand :)**

**So please a review- and if not, it's fine and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

**Happy readings!**

**Azetta**


	5. 5: In which we find our characters

**Salvete amici!**

**(Pretending that that was spelled right, it's Laten for "Hello friends"…see, I can be clever sometimes…sike ;)**

**Guys, I want to mentally prepare you for this chapter. I want you to be ready to push your imagination to the extremes. You may find yourself wondering if I lost my mind, if I've completely hit the funny farm as you read this. You would be correct- I wonder the same things myself. LOL**

**You'll understand why as you read this chapter.**

**Anyway- has anyone grown up watching Veggie Tales? If so, think of them as you read this chapter. If you have no idea what the heck I'm talking about look up "Silly songs by Larry: Waterbuffalo" on youtube. :3**

**No I'm not a dor- okay, I take that back, I am totally a dork and veggie tales was like the best children's show ever when I was little. Don't judge me- or if you do, at least wait until the end of the chapter.**

**Important! :**

**I am truly sorry for my disappearing habit I have happened to nailed. No I didn't disappear off the face of the earth, I'm just having a lot of writing blocks. Also most of my creativity and writing has gone to my Creative Writing class I'm taking at a collage. (Btw, it's amazing the grammar- or lack there of- I see in this class. How half the students there passed English 101 is beyond me.) Not that I can talk, 'cause I know my grammar ain't perfect, but I do make an effort to write intelligible for the sake of my readers and my own sanity. Don't write what you can't read.**

**Polls: I've decided to go with the longer plot (which will go into effect in…this chapter actually…mucho importance ) and the revealing of Lacus's pet will not be in this chapter, but you'll find out soon ;)**

**Random things help me come up with stories. For example. My main inspiration for this story is, yes, you guessed it, pickles. So feel free to review random things, or even random chapter title suggestions (they should begin with 'In which') that don't even make sense. Believe me, I'll eat it up and spew it back out in some written manner**

**For those who can't stand a blabbing author/ess, skip this next part as I respond to my darling reviewers. :3**

**Leblanc- **I'm actually starting to feel like I'm writing one of those 'hundred drabbles' stories since none of my chapters seem to link up, lol. Sometimes I sit down and I stare at the computer thinking "My God, where am I going with this?" oh well, as long as there are people who have a good time reading :)

**Apparentdaydreamer- **Guess what? I can't see where this story is heading either, la la la :) . Just kidding, I have a tiny idea of where this is heading. Tiny… This chapter is the first chapter with any importance to the plot, lol . Hopefully, I'll manage to keep this good… ;)

**Yennefer- **oh boy, it's you :D lol, Um, Athrun's past…well, let's see, you knew his mother had something to do with the medical field… yeah, that's about it. Oh, I don't know if I mentioned it, but there are like, three main countries- Plant, Orb, EA- currently everything is taking place in the EA. Dear God, have you ever been in a human-dog-human sandwhich? It's not that funny, lol- you get squashed and can barely breathe, not to mention all you can smell is stinky dog. Lol Btw, a lot of my friends now like you since I quoted your thing about languages hahaha. Meer,,, she and Athrun are my current loose cannons… sigh. What am I going to do with them -.-

Iew, don't eat sea food D: You know how I feel about sea food hahahahahahahah

**Elgnis rekresreb- **Ohhhhh, so that makes a ton more sense now, though, single…? That can be taken two ways, ya know? Single as in a solitary berserker, or single as in someone who is flying solo relationship wise, er, I was just pointing that out, 'cause I'm a dork lol hahahhahaha, heartless, lol, and thanks about the hospital scene- though I was kinda going for 'sad' everyone seemed to think it was cute lol :)

**IgNighted- **Mrs. Hibiki is kinda based off my Mom who homeschooled five boys and me through school -.- God, the horror- every day was probably a nightmare for her lol … Noooo, waaaait, reallllyy? Homecoming is closer to thanks giving? -.- I'm so stupid, blah,….oh well, this is my story- minor tweakings are allowed ;3 about Lacus's pet… cuddly… ha. Ha. Ha. We'll see about that, thanks so much though for chipping in :) Oh, I can promise you dramatic story- how about ludicrous? I can do ludicrous-to-the-point-nothing-makes-sense… yeah, I'm good at that ;) Ah, let me amend what I said about my

dog and Chewie, they are very much alike, and nearly everything chewie has done, my dog has done as well. The kidnapping… Well, it's an exaggerated story of something that happened to me when I was little and Charlie (my dog) took me for a walk, rather then the other way around…

**Xoxodork- **I'm so glad I had an up-to-snuff constitution at that moment cuz I swear I almost did… btw, about your dog? Hahahahhahahah I'm definitely stealing that for my story ;) honestly, none of my dogs have swept things off of tables with their tails- though my one dog sleeps outside my bedroom and when he sleeps he dreams and he'll start kicking my door which of course wakes me up, thinking there's some creeper outside's my room. And sure thing, new biffle, *shakes hands* nice to, uh,,,, meet you ;)

**Sake-hime – **awwwww, thank you, and I try to keep everything fresh when it comes to Chewie- though I worry often that you readers will find things rather unbelieveable. It's good to hear though that y'all are still enjoying it :)

**Meyrin-x-ZAFTgirl- **hahhahahahhahahahahha, lick your stuffed unicorn, hahahhahaha that's soooo random of your dog, lol that just made my life. Ahhhhh, I was so worried about writing Shiho's backstory- I didn't want to go into it too much right away, plus I was trying to be sensitive to others about mentioning religion lol, who knows how well that turned out. Well, Meer has never really gotten on my nerves before,,,, she's kinda my 'blonde character' in the story. You know, the blonde who all the blonde jokes are made off of? It's something this Meer and I have in common -.- Yup, I'm a blonde who has heard a lot of jokes in her short life time lol, I love blonde jokes though- they make my world go around

**Stubbornheroine- **well, more on the whole age difference will be written later as to why Athrun was like "What the snicker doodle O.o " lol there's going to be more then a competition bet ;) just keep referring back to the poem though :)

**Thinkingintheshower- **I may have mentioned this already, but you have a unique screen name. You must get that a lot though, huh? Yeah, I agree- you're not the first person to have said that to me before- but I have a tendency to make notes while I write and then forget to move them/erase them before I publish things. It can be embarrassing sometimes! D: lol awwwwww, now you have me all sentimental about my dog :( hope you can see your dog soon :(

**AsuCaga Forever- **I know what you mean about being too lazy to sign in- I do it all the time- lol ahhhh, a new computer- that sounds epic :O lol, I kinda need a new one. My netbook, it recovered and it can hook up to wifi again but it can't hook up by internet cords (which is how I've always done it before) for some reason, which bothers my greatly lol I hope you had back up on your files :( I can totally understand the trauma of losing all your writing material- it's like the world is crashing down around you and you're the only one sane enough to notice. Lol No, I haven't sent her an email- cuz I'm not sure she does check it anymore…? No… well, the ideas I come up with never make sense- for example, this chapter O.o I'm still trying to figure out what recess of my mind came up with this O.o hahahha, well, I really love dramatic words :) It was like 10,000 words, btw? Ahhh, I have a tendency to keep writing until my creative oasis runs dry :) ahhh, the age difference- everyone is wondering the same thing. I'll get to that, some chapter lol Actually, I have a gosh-awful timing writing KxL and not going OOC, so when I sat down to write this story I was like: Oh screw it, we're doing things my way :D lol actually, poor Dearka- what I have planned in store for him… I write a bit of poetry when I'm bored – and unless I say otherwise- all poetry is my own :)

**Thanks everyone for such thoughtful reviews :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed/D and all, um, bad reference jokes readers might uncover in the subtext were not written with that intention by the authoress. Nevertheless, enjoy what you may make out of it. God knows I sat there laughing my head off as I tried to write difficult sentences.**

**Bah, you'll understand what I mean.**

**Neither do I own Veggie Tales, Sexy and I know it, Saw nor Shakespeare.**

**Warning: This chapter has NOT been edited due to time and the fact that Easter is coming up**

**Enjoy! ;)**

**Chapter 5 : In which our characters are in a pickle**

"No! No! You can't do this to me! You just can't!"

Blue eyes flashed steely. "By the powers invested in me-"

"Stop!"

"And as written in the B.F.F. code you-"

"Lacus! Please, don't make me…!"

"are obligated to fill in for me at work just this once."  
>And that's when Lacus played her last card.<p>

Puppy eyes.

To her horror, Cagalli found herself melting in front of her friend's pleading look and she slumped against her locker. "Please…" she begged one last time, "Please don't ask me to do this."

"Cags, you got to." Lacus told her. "Remember that time I helped you search Chewie's poop after he ate your one of your mom's rings?"

"That is so different and you know it. This is just plain humiliating." Cagalli half-sobbed into the soccer ball she clutched to her chest. The two things that Cagalli adored doing. Music and soccer.

"I'll owe you forever and after." Lacus said, clasping her hands together. "It's only for three hours."

Cagalli rubbed her brow. "I get half the pay?"

"Of course."

"And next time we ask you to pet sit while we're on vacation, you'll actually pet sit instead of secretly hiring someone else."

Lacus hesitated. There was a reason why she kept her family friend, Bill, the lion tamer from the zoo on speed dial. "…sure." She said half-heartedly though inwardly she was already shrinking in horror at the idea of having to take care of Chewie when the Hibikis left. The one time Bill was unable to fill in for her had been an absolute nightmare that she rather not think about.

Cagalli sighed, glancing at a clock. Class was about to start in a moment. "Oh what the hell. What's with a little more mortification in life." She glanced sideways at her relieved friend. "I'm surprised they would let me fill in for you again."

Lacus shrugged. "They were planning to knock down that section of the restaurant anyway. You just beat them to it by setting it on fire."

"I didn't set it on fire- don't say it like that. You make it sound like I did it on purpose." Cagalli huffed.

"I quote 'Hey, Mom…. I accidently might have burned down a resteraunt trying to light a candle on top of a birthday cake.'."

"See, now you're just focusing on all the negatives. The important thing is that nobody was hurt and that they were willing to drop charges over the fact that they were completely reimbursed." Cagalli paused. "Hey look- Shiho!" Admiration showed in her eyes as Cagalli skipped up to the tall brunette, Lacus trailing behind her.

"How ya doing, Shiho?" she asked.

Shiho jumped slightly, looking startled, as she paused in examining herself in a tiny mirror. It was so un-Shiho-like to even be worried about her looks that Cagalli stumbled slightly.

"Oh I'm doing fine. Just a small bump on the head and a few brusies." Shiho smiled.

_Must have been a pretty big bump if you're checking your looks in the mirror. _Cagalli thought dryly as she noticed that a faint glimmering eyeshadow had been applied ever so lightly to Shiho's eyes.

Before Cagalli could make a comment on how weird the older girl was acting, a familiar, harsh voice barked out loudly down the hall. "Do you have a problem, punk?"

Shiho rolled her eyes, exasperated. "I'll have to talk to you guys later. Duty calls."

"Oh thank God." Lacus murmured after Shiho had disappeared into the forming crowd. "For a moment there, I was really worried."

Cagalli nudged her with her elbow. "Me too…That was just weird. Like, invasion of the body snatchers." She glanced across the hall to where Meer was applying a coat of lipstick. "For the good of us underdogs who are protected from Yzak by Shiho, we must be careful never to let her spend extended amounts of time with Meer."

Lacus laughed and the two began to wriggle their way through the people towards their classes. "I'm glad she is doing well."

"Hmmm…" Cagalli nodded. "Hey, why do you need me to fill in for you at work anyway? It's not like you to skip work."

To her amazement Lacus flushed a slight pink. "No reason."

Though Cagalli didn't notice, Lacus's gaze had trailed away to fix on a brunette further down the hall who was yawning on his way to math class. "Yes, no reason at all." She murmured.

OOOOO

"Yzak!" Shiho roared as she stomped her way infront of the fallen boy. "It is way too early for you to be acting like an ass!" she paused, her eyes sweeping him, and her eyebrows rose. His normally neat frat-boy appearance had been splotched by green paint that had come from his victim's palette.

Yzak sneered, looking quite like a bristled cat. "Who are you calling an ass?"

Shiho threw her hands up in disgust. "Somebody please lend Yzak a mirror so he won't waste more braincells then he can spare on figuring this out."

Past Yzak, Shiho could see Dearka wriggling his way through the crowd to where they were. She wondered if he was going to get there in time.

"Back off!" Yzak snarled, his eyes flaring an icy glare. "You-" and then he stumbled.

Everyone couldn't help but stare as Yzak fumbled about for an insult.

Shiho's jaw dropped. "You?" she repeated prodding.

Yzak's brow furrowed but by then it was too late. The damage was done.

Yzak was at a loss for words.

Or not a complete loss. "You idiot." He concluded half heartedly.

"Riiiiiight." Shiho raised an eyebrow, feeling slightly stunned. Normally by now their fight would have escalated to blows with teachers trying to restrain them. Yzak being flummoxed put her in an awkward position of 'now what?'. "Anyway, leave him alone. I'm hardly awake enough to deal with this crap." She tossed her hair over her shoulder before turning around to extend her hand to the tan boy who was looking just as stunned on the ground. "You alright?" she asked.

The boy gaped at her. "Wow, I don't know whether to be complimented that a pretty lady such as yourself is talking to me or feel utterly insulted that I just got protected by a girl."

Shiho snapped back her hand before he could take it. "If you're going to be sexist, then you can help yourself up, kiddo." She snipped before turning around and walking up to Yzak. "And you, you silver-hair, obnoxious pig!"

Yzak's eyes narrowed to a flintly look. "At least I don't use farm animals to insult you." He sniffed. "I wouldn't want to insult them after all."

And then there fight went to blows as Shiho launched herself at him and Dearka rocketed himself forward just in the nick of time to intercept.

In the end all three got detention.

OOOOOO

"I hate being part of drama." Cagalli complained to no one but herself as she pushed and stumbled her way through the curtains. Drama in her school was a joke. The plays were either strictly to the original text or so badly written that everything was a poor joke. Besides, there was no director, nor play writer so everything was done by the students who, just about, didn't care. So the only ones who signed up for it were those who didn't manage to get into the other extra school activities. And you had to be at least apart of one.

"Darn it! Where does this stupid curtain end?" Cagalli muttered as she tripped again, struggling to get through the thick velvet curtains to the backstage. She was just making head way when a low, melodic voice made her freeze.

"'But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Cagalli is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon.'…and these spiders while you're at it, if you please, because I must admit I'm deathly afraid of them."

Cagalli stared in amazement at the boy who was hugging his knees as he sat atop a cardboard box, grinning like a cheshire cat. A warm blush stained her cheeks slightly and she tried to imagine why the sight of Ahmed had caused a jolt to go through her.

"Ahmed, you dolt! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" At last she parted the curtains enough to go into the backstage. There she noticed a tiny cast that consisted of ten people, including Ahmed, Meyrin and…

Oh dear merciful Lord of tolerance.

Meer.

"Thanks for helping me out there." She added as she sat besides him and he scooted over to give her some room. "What's going on?"

He shrugged. "It isn't obvious? Nothing. Nothing is going on- nothing has been going on."

Meyrin, spotting Cagalli, made her way over with a brilliant scowl. "Those doofuses over there," she gestured to the other seven cast members and Meer who were gathered in a group, debating something. "Do not seem to realize that a great play actually takes hard work and good writing before it may come to life."

"And of course, you're offering to show us what a great play is?" Ahemed asked, raising an eyebrow.

She blushed slightly. "Well,"

"What play were we assigned for this year?" Cagalli jumped in, saving her friend from the direct attention.

Ahmed's smile spread. "'She speaks! Oh, speak again, bright angel, for thou art,'" he raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

"Eh…What?" Cagalli looked lost.

"Sure you recognize this?"

"As much as I do algebra."

"In other words, not well." Meyrin translated. She sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "Good Lord, Cagalli. Shakespeare."

"Bless you."

"No, William Shakespeare. Ahmed was quoting Romeo and Juliet." Meyrin rolled her eyes at Ahmed and he nodded his head agreement with her.

"You mean there's a point to all the mumbled garbage he was spouting?"

Horror crossed the pair's faces before her as they stared at her.

"Don't say that!" Meyrin whispered, glancing around as if she expected the gods of playwriting to come swooping out of nowhere and smite them dead.

"Okay, so we're going Romeo and Juliet. Let me guess, an epic romance with a happily ever after." Cagalli sighed.

Ahmed and Meyrin exchanged a long look.

"Sure, let's go with that." Meyrin at last said flatly. "But we need to do something- the play needs to be worked on in the next couple months and the script isn't even written."

"We could just read straight from the original script." Ahmed suggested.

"No!" came the instant response from the two girls next to him and they glowered at him. He laughed before waving at the rest of the drama crew to join them. "We need to work this out into a schedule."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with my life." Meer interjected- her words echoed by just about everyone that had migrated over.

"Am I the only one here who wants to be here?" Meyrin asked and silence answered her and she sighed.

"Alright, so when are we doing cast auditions?"

After a lot of schedule haggling, they figured two weeks from then on a Thursday.

"That gives us two weeks to come up with a script!" one brunette pointed out.

At this everyone burst out with personal issues they had with drama and why they should just cancel the whole hellish ordeal. Five minutes had past when at last a voice rose above the other cries and exclaimed.

"I'll do it!"

A stunned silence followed as everyone stared at quiet ol' Meyrin who was looking rather pale as if she hadn't intended to speak.

"Do-?" Cagalli said slowly.

Meyrin blinked slowly as if she wanted to bolt. "I'll…write…the script." She said it more like a question that she was begging for someone to refuse.

"Excellent." Meer clapped her hands together in delight. "Now that that is taken care of- the position of Juliet-"

"Auditions aren't for another two weeks, Meer." Cagalli wanted to tear her hair out in frustration.

The junior shot the freshman a look. "I know! I'm not an idiot!"

"funny. I could've sworn…" Cagalli grinned and Meer flipped her hair, scoffing. "Anyway, Meyrin, you sure you can write a whole script in two weeks?"

"Well," Meyrin said slowly. "Not really- but maybe with some help. Has anyone here read Romeo and Juliet?"

The only person of the reluctant bunch who raised his hand was Ahmed and even he looked at his risen hand as if it had some how betrayed him.

Meyrin looked relieved. "Thank goodness. And who will be in charge?"

Meer opened her mouth but Cagalli stepped on her foot.

"I-Ouch! You little-"

"Meyrin, why don't you be our director?"

"-you just cracked my pedicure!"

"I…" Meyrin stared wide-eyed at Cagalli. "I can't."

Cagalli shrugged, grinning. "You're an awesome writer- why not?"

Meyrin seemed to think about it hard for a moment before at last, smiling shyly and saying. "Well…alright." Taking a deep breath to steady herself she said. "Well, if that's alright with everyone else."

It was and Meer was too distracted to make a complaint.

Meyrin beamed. "Okay, then everyone but Ahmed is free to leave- he and I will work a bit on the setting for our play. From tomorrow on, though, everyone but us will work on play props." Determination glinted in her eyes as she clearly. "We'll make this a play none will forget."

OOOOOOO

"Oh it's, you. Why am I not surprised."

Shinn jumped slightly at the voice of the red-head who stood before him. "Hawke." He nodded his head.

"Asuka." She replied just as stiffly before sitting down with huff beside him on the edge of the sidewalk. They were in the same place they had first met outside's the gym, and like before Shinn was smoking.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Beside's dying from second-hand fumes?" she shrugged. "My intent was to enjoy some peace and quiet but as long as you're here that doesn't look possible." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and shook her head in disgust. "And who talked you into buying that leather coat? I really need to shoot them."  
>Shinn lowered his cigarette, glaring at her. "I happen to like this leather coat, excuse me."<p>

"Smoking can be excused. Bad fashion can not." She turned her head away. "Until you take if off, I won't stop ignoring you."

Shinn shrugged and leaned back against the side of the school building, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

A few minutes passed and Luna glanced at him from the corner of her eye, realizing that he really didn't care. She huffed, biting her bottom lip for a moment. "If you don't take it off…" she amended. "Then I will proceed to talk your ear off."

Shinn flicked her a dirty look, but continued to refuse to take off his jacket.

She smiled. "And… I will also start calling you Po."

Shinn nearly swallowed his cigarette. "What?" he stammered, coughing slightly.

She looked at him flatly. "The coughing is a sign of bad lungs." Nimbly, her fingers darted across to whip the cigarette from his mouth, throwing it on the ground. "Now I just saved your life."

"That was my last one!" Shinn yelled.

"Hallulujah."

Growing irritated, he turned to face the annoying dark-pink haired girl who was looking quite proud of her self. His red eyes narrowed to slits and he used his intimidating voice that normally had people cowering. "Go. Away." He growled.

She merely raised an eyebrow coolly and said. "Is that all you got, Po?"

Shin grinded his face into his palms. "Can't even smoke in peace."

"Right now your lungs are saying 'thank you, Po!'." Luna grinned, she raised her arms above her head stretching. She had swimming practice in her next period.

"Enough with the Po!" Shinn hesitated. "And where did you get that ridiculous name from anyway?"

Luna looked at him blankly. "You…don't know Po?" her face went pale. "How do you not know Po? Were you raised right? Po is only the best tellytubby ever!"

He stared at her. "Lady. You need some serious help."

She snorted. "Says the delinquent."

He shrugged.

Frowning, Luna poked him. "Po. Po. Po. Po."

Shinn glanced at her, half in annoyance and half in alarm.

"Po! Po! Po! Po! Po!" The poking turned into tickling as her fingers danced across his ribs.

Shinn doubled over, unable to stop the laughter building up, as he wheezed a chuckle. "Stop!" he yelped. "That's…Not…fair!" he struggled to wriggle away but Luna practically had him pinned as she tickled him insistently.

"No, I won't! Po-po!"

Oh God. It had just gotten worse.

Shinn could hardly breathe as he laughed, batting away Luna's hands. "Okay…okay…okay, fine!" at last he managed to hop a foot away. He yanked of his coat, dropping it to the ground.

Luna held in a slight gasp, her eyes widening.

She had always figured that Shinn would be built but- this…was unexpected. Shinn was lean and packed with muscle that strained against his tight white tee-shirt.

Feeling oddly flustered, Luna got up to her feet as well.

"Happy?" he raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

She forced a smile. "Ecstatic." She winked, before snatching up his coat into her arms. "See ya later…Asuka." Then escaped through the gym door and escaping the madness that Shinn had caused her too feel; ignoring his cries of protest as she did.

OOOOO **  
><strong>

"Goodbye, my love. I will miss you."

"And I, you, my dear… in fact. I miss you already."

Athrun raised an eyebrow at the scene going on in front of him. "Am I missing something? Please tell me I'm missing something."

"Oi! Dearka! Get your filthy paws off my sister!" barked Lunamaria as she stomped up to stand besides Kira and Athrun where they stood in line at the cafeteria.

Beside them, Dearka and Meyrin, a freshman, were clinging to eachother in a dramatic embrace.

"My beloved!" Meyrin sobbed into his chest. "I fear that we will be torn asunder."

"Shhh…" Dearka gently stroked her hair. "No matter where you may go, I will always find you."

"See, that's Luna's little sister, Meyrin… She and Dearka met when she was a toddler and those two have been attached at the hip since then." Kira made a face. "It's totally platonic though one would think they were married the way they act." He shivered slightly. "Actually, just don't ask cause' I still don't understand it myself…"

"It's disgusting." Luna sniffed. "I don't know what they see in eachother but whatever it is, I'm glad I don't have it."

"My darling!" Meyrin cried even as she separated from Dearka. "We will meet again! Whether in a few days, years or another life. We will always find eachother!"

"My heart beats solely for you." Dearka whispered, waving farewell. Silence ensued and then he turned back to the group with a grin. "So what did I miss?"

"Nothing but your own soap opera." Luna scoffed.

"I'm confused." Athrun volunteered.

"I'm tired." Kira chimed in a heartbeat later before letting his head flop on Luna's shoulder. "Pillow."

"Only if you want a face full of meatloaf." Luna calmly replied.

"That would make a good pillow too, come to think of it."

"You're addiction to sleep is mildly worrying me." Luna said even as she spooned salad onto her tray.

"I'm exhauuuuuusted." Kira groaned. "Waking up early to walk Chewie sucks."

"So why do it at all?"

Kira gave her a deranged look. "Are you insane? Do you know how much energy Chewie has at five in the morning?"

"Uh." Luna glanced at Athrun. "Should I answer this?" He shook his head having witnessed first hand the consequences of having a dog like Chewie.

"Too much energy." Kira muttered. "We wouldn't have a house anymore if we didn't take him for walks three times a day." He sighed mournfully. "Sleep is my bestfriend and now it is gone. The world is cruel. What will it take next?"

"Hopefully your ability to whine." Yzak snapped as he cut into line, ignoring the murmurs of annoyance from the people behind him. "Now quit complaining, Yamato." He glanced at Dearka who, at the time, had been surveying the cafeteria. "What's your issue?"

"I don't know but it just walked up."

There was a yelp then as Yzak's fist made contact with Dearka's stomach.

"You had that coming." Luna observed. "Anyway, where is Miraillia?" she looked faintly annoyed as she led the group back to their usual table. "I thought she was going to help me with the homecoming decorations."

A shudder ran down everyone's spines at her words. Luna had just about cornered everyone and made them promise to help her at one point or another with making decorations. She wasn't exactly scary like Yzak scary, but thanks to her mysterious ways of getting inside info, she knew more about everyone's private business then they did.

Which meant blackmail.

The only one who didn't shiver was Athrun though. The big enigma at the table.

"I have noooo idea." Kira said even as he constructed a pillow out of napkins. "But if you see her…" He laid his head sideways onto his makeshift head-rest. "Tell her…" his eyes closed, his words trickling to an unrecognizable mutter.

"Right, whatever that was." Luna muttered into her food and Athrun snickered.

Kira glowered at the two of them before flumping his head back down on the table. "Whatever. I'll think about it when lunch is over."

"More like naptime."

"Luna. You do not live with my dog, you do not walk with my dog, you do not run from my dog, you do not know my dog. I do not want to hear it." Was the last thing Kira said before falling into a peaceful sleep.

"that's an amazing skill to have." Dearka mused.

"True dat'." Luna said and they bumped fists in appreciation. Then she turned to Athrun. "So we don't know much about you."

"Translation: I couldn't find out anything to blackmail you with. Please say some keywords that I can use later in my research into your past." Dearka added. Athrun noticed that the blonde kept glancing around the cafeteria still as if he was searching for someone.

"What's to say? I just moved here." Athrun said with an easy-going smile and a shrug.

"Oi, it's that punk from earlier!" Yzak's eyes widened. "that punk who spilled his art supplies all over me."

"That's why you're wearing my clothes?" Dearka whispered. "God, for a second I thought I actually had a chance."

Yzak shot him a furious look. "And this will be the last time something like this happens, I can promise you." His expression was dark. "When was the last time you washed these pants?" he picked at the jeans he wore.

Dearka blinked, opened his mouth then closed it then opened it again. "Uh, don't worry about it."

"Now I'm worrying."

"well…don't."

"Dearka…"

"Yzak…"

"Well now that we know eachother's names…" Luna said brightly, interrupting what was obviously going to escalate into a full blown match.

Yzak shot her an irratated glance. "Well, the coast is clear so let me go…ah…chat with that kid." He stood up and made his way through the cafeteria towards the table where the tan boy sat next to a blonde and her friends.

"Uhoh." Luna said.

"That's Kira's sister over there…" Dearka whispered.

"What does that mean?" Athrun asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"While Kira has no energy, Cagalli has too much."

Luna nodded in agreement. "I've known that girl since middle school when I met Kira. I don't know who was in the principle's office then more- her or Shinn."

"Shinn?"

"Our school delinquent."

"Though Shiho could probably give them both a run for their money." Dearka murmured.

"Yeah, but Shiho didn't go to our middle school." Luna frowned. "Plus she's not as bad as she used to be."

"Thank God. Remember that time when we were twelve and she hung Kira by his underwear from the monkeybars?"

"Remember it? Miraillia still has pictures." Luna laughed.

There was a clatter as suddenly a tray was over turned and Cagalli seemed to be going toe-to-toe with Yzak, the tan boy beside them looking completely bewildered.

"Those two." Dearka shook his head clucking his tongue. "A match made in heaven."

"Shouldn't we go over there and help?" Athrun said, already half way up, ready to get between the two evenly matched tempers.

"Only if you want to die." Dearka said calmly.

"And so it begins." Luna lifted her tray in front of her face.

"What begins?" Athrun said, confused.

"What always begins when Yzak and Cagalli fight." Dearka lifted his tray as well like a shield. He looked over at Athrun and smiled wryly.

"food fight."

"And the worst part is- he'll sleep through the entire thing." Luna added nodding towards Kira.

"I'm sorry, Kira." Dearka said, lifting his jello ad dumping it on top of Kira's head. "I really am."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"You three should be ashamed of yourselves!"

"Yes, Ma'am." Dearka said respectfully as both Yzak and Shiho blatently turned their head to the side and ignored the principal.

"Yzak, Shiho. I will call your parents." Threatened Principal Murrue Ramius.

Shiho threw back her head and shrugged, smiling coldly. "Don't make a difference to me."

Yzak, on the other hand, went, if possible, even paler, his eyes widening. "That would be a terrible idea."

Dearka snickered into his fist at the hint of terror in his friend's voice. He had only met Mrs. Joule once but once was enough to understand why Yzak looked as if the teacher had just suggested he get boob implants.

It was one of the reasons why he never made a "your mom" joke in Yzak's presence. Though humorous, it wasn't worth the consequences.

Murrue's brown eyes lit with triumph at having found Yzak's weakness, and she flicked Shiho a frustrated look. "You three will spend an hour after school helping clean up the mess some of you helped made in the lunch room."

All three pairs of eyes widened. "The entire mess?" Dearka asked weakly.

"The entire mess."

Shiho shrugged. "Whatever."

"The entire mess?" Dearka repeated.

"You got to be kidding me, lady!" Yzak yelped, his eyes blazing.

"Neither I, nor your mother, kid." Murrue said sternly and instantly he felt quiet, simmering with fury.

"The ENTIRE MESS?"

Murrue rolled her eyes in exasperation, not exactly a stranger to Dearka's antics. "Yes, and I suggest you get to it before you have to clean the bathrooms as well."

She hardly had blinked and they were gone.

OOOO

"Dear God, the bath rooms. That's below the belt." Dearka moaned.

"You would know since you spend half the day in there." Yzak muttered as the trio made their way to the cafeteria, laden with cleaning tools.

"Do not!"

"You camp out in there every day there's a test!"

"I'm bulimic!"

"No you're not, and that's not even an excuse!"

"Is too!"

"You guys sound like girls." Shiho said calmly as she strode along sides the squabbling pair.

"Do not!" they said at the same time.

Shiho raised an eyebrow. "Right.

The school was like a ghost town after school hours so they were quite surprised when they walked into the cafeteria only to find someone else already there.

"Miriallia?" Dearka straightened noticeably and Yzak smirked slightly.

Miriallia jumped down from the table where she was taking pictures of the food splattered walls. "Ohaio guys. I didn't know you were still-" her eyes swept over their mops, and buckets and rags and tactfully she paused. "Er…you guys really went at it today." She gestured around to the completely destroyed cafeteria.

Yzak flushed slightly and Dearka grinned. "Well you know," he began. "Mystery Meat day."

"Hmmmm..." Miriallia nodded, studying Yzak. "More like Cats vs Dogs, Cagalli and Yzak styled."

Yzak bristled. "She started it."

"Of course she did." Miriallia said soothingly, though laughter glowed in her eyes.

Feeling quite like a thirdwheel on a date, Shiho began to make her way across the room, dragging a brush along with her as she began to sweep, lost in her own world. Time quickly passed as one does find when one is lost in their own world and when Shiho paused in her cleaning again she was surprised to find only Yzak still there, growling under his breath as he cleaned off a window that seemed to have the unfortunate fate of meeting apple sauce.

She blinked her violet eyes, looking around in surprise to realize that the cafeteria was just about done except for a couple of windows. "Where are the others?" she asked, making her way over to the table to grab some windex.

Yzak paused, twisting his head slightly to cast her a distracted glance. "Miriallia had some important project she wanted to get to work with that transfer brat and Dearka had a date." He snorted. "Coincidently one he only remembered to mention right after Miriallia told us who she was spending the rest of her afternoon with."

"Oh." Shiho didn't really care to hear about Yzak's friends' personal lives and whatnot so she moved off to a window to finish the cleaning, ignoring whatever else Yzak had to say.

She reached up to spray the window only to realize that it evaded her by a couple inches of height. A frown easily spread across her face as she narrowed her eyes furiously. Today hadn't been a good day for her and the too-high mirror seemed to be the tip of the mockery-iceberg for her.

She was not so easily defeated as she soon came back with a little stool, slammed it down in front of the window and climbed up on it, balancing carefully on the rickety- three legged thing.

After the hosing the window down she went to work scrubbing the window to death.

"Oi, Yank, you don't have to do that."

She paused at Yzak's voice and tried not to roll her eyes at the name he had called her. Oh the irony.

"If you can't reach the window normally then just leave it alone- I'll get to it." He sounded irritable and his voice was growing louder.

Oh well, she refused to respond and listen and was content with blocking him out.

And like a poorly directed chick-flick, her stool decided that it had enough with rocking back and forth under her weight and it unceremoniously tipped, dumping her backwards with a yelp.

And like a poorly, unrehearsed actress, Shiho landed ungracefully into Yzak's arms where she found herself staring into the iciest-blue eyes she had ever seen. His eyes widened in shock as they met hers and he opened his mouth as if to say something though not a whisper came out. His body heat had barely penetrated her skin when she had caught her bearings and with an undignified shriek, threw herself forward, tripped and crashed head long into the stone wall.

"Ow, damn it!" she muttered a string of swears as she slumped against the wall, massaging her aching forehead as the pale Yzak watched her, looking amused.

"I told you so." Yzak at last said.

Well, that didn't exactly help her mood and her glare let him know that. "Thank you, Joule, but I think I can take care of myself." She sniffed, picking herself up and crossing her arms though she deeply wanted to amputate the stool's limbs for having betrayed her when she needed them most.

Yzak sighed and walked closer until he stood right before her and she immediately stood up straight, annoyed to find herself flush against him, the top of her head level with his shoulders. Of all the stupid things to be- shortness had to be one of the worst right then and she cursed the genes that had somehow skipped her parents and indulged her.

Oddly enough, though neither knew it, but both were contemplating her height right then. Yzak himself was curiously measuring herself against his own stature, surprised to realize just how short she was. Her ability to intimidate and the way she lifted her head in pride had always seemed to boost her up in his eyes. Not to mention he had always viewed her from a somewhat distance. Always faced her with the urgency of a fight, and, she, his worthy foe. Take away the bloodlust though and it felt…strangely… well, strange to be so close to her and not trying not to throttle her. Just simply…being. Nothing more and nothing less.

It was just him and Shiho. Not two enemies. Not the anger-problems boy and the delinquent girl. Just two people who had never wondered before if they could ever get along.

It was then that he noticed how truly close he had come unwittingly towards her and how her violet eyes were narrowed and staring directly at his. Those strange light violet eyes with subtle flecks of gold and deeper stains of amethyst that sparkled with a hint of the fiery spirit within. Waiting for him to make his move- whatever it may be.

So he lifted his spray bottle and sprayed the window over her head and finished cleaning it- ignoring the gaping expression on her face.

"I was going to get that!" she at last cried when he had finished.

He rolled his eyes. "And how long would that take? Thanks, but I rather get home before night."

Shiho gnawed her lip, trying to slow the hammering of her heart, quite like the drums of war, that always seemed to occur when ever Yzak was around. "You're just saying that cause you're sexist." She said slowly, halfheartedly for she truly had no idea as to why he cleaned the window for her.

Yzak laughed. "If you knew my mother you would not be saying that,"

"So it's the mother who wears the pants in the family…"

"Well, that's one way to put it- hand me your paper towel 'cause I'm all out." He gestured one empty hand to her as he sprayed the next window.

Rather then hand it to him and close the distance, Shiho tossed it to him before sitting down. It took a great deal not to aim at his face.

"Thank you." She added.

"Hn," he grunted. "It's just a window."

"Not that- I could do that myself if you weren't so stubborn about it and if God had just given me a few more inches. No, I meant for not taking off with Dearka and leaving me to do the work."

Yzak paused, his head whipping around so that he could he stare at the brunette who was studiously not meeting his gaze "Are you mad? Don't confuse me with that blonde idiot! When there's work you have to do, you do it. And you don't whine about it either." With a huff he turned back to his work and only after she was sure he wasn't paying her any attention did Shiho look back at him.

Wonder of all wonders. For a moment, Shiho had felt a hint respect for her platinum-blonde nemisis.

She dragged a hand through her brown hair, wondering for a moment if there was more to Yzak that met the eye.

Everybody has their own story- she should know that better then anyone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A couple hours later. Alright then, four to be exact.

Athrun was in the middle of some homework when his phone rang. To his surprise, Cagalli's number popped up and he remembered that they had exchanged numbers to keep up about tutoring.

Hoping that she wasn't cancelling their tutoring, Athrun flipped open his phone. "Yo."

"Athrun." Her voice, slightly staticy, sounded.

"Mhmm." He said.

"Um…do you think you can come pick me up?"

His brow furrowed in concern and he set down his pencil.

"Sure, where are you?"

She listed off a place not to far away. "I'm really sorry to be asking you to do this."

"Oh no, it's completely fine." He reassured, not caring in the slightest. "Is everything alright though?"

"Well…" she said mournfully. "I'm kinda in a pickle…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Athrun pulled up outsides the vegan restaurant where Lacus apparently worked, sunglasses over his eyes as he scanned the customers and workers for the familiar blonde. After parking the car in the crowded parking lot he stepped out, running a hand through his thick hair.

"Athrun!"

Startled, he spun around only to nearly face plant a green-. "Caga-?"

A pickle.

A giant, green pickle with giant black-felt eyes like a cartoon character's and a felt mouth.

But a pickle none the scuffed sneakers that looked like they had seen their fair share of the swamplands poking out at the bottom.

A moment passed and carefully, he said. "Cagalli?"

"Duh, dumbass. Who did you think it was? Larry?" Well, it was her voice coming, slightly muffled, from the outfit. And those were her sneakers.

"Larry was a cucumber. Idiot." Athrun couldn't help himself as peals of laughter shook through him.

Though he couldn't see her face, he was quite positive she was sneering inside the green pickle costume.

"If I had arms I would hit you." The head of the pickle cocked to one side as if she was thinking about something. "I could headbutt you though."

"I wouldn't suggest that." Athrun said, inching away. "So earlier when you said that you were 'in a pickle'…"

"What did you think I meant?"

"I have no idea…" he said solemnly, still trying not to laugh. "but this…just about tops it all."

The head of the green pickle bent slightly as if the wearer was looking down. "No wonder Lacus wanted to skip work today." The pickle straightened. "They're promoting their new pickle thing and she was signed up to be the pickle mascot." Cagalli sounded absolutely miserable. "I've been outside this place for nearly two hours, parading up and down the sidewalk."

"And you called me because…"

She went rigid. "Kidnap me!"

Athrun stared at her. "I'm dreaming right?"

"No really! Kidnap me!"

"I think you've spent a little too long in that outfit."

"Oh believe me. I think the same. It smells worse then Chewie's farts, if that's possible. However I can't simply just leave. It might put Lacus in trouble." The exasperation in her voice made it obvious that she thought Athrun was dense.

Athrun rolled his eyes, noticing her lack of concern for the said kidnapper. "And you think someone won't notice me smuggling a giant pickle into my car?"

"Well…" she began thoughtfully. "I could always sit in your trunk."

"Yeah, there's a better idea."

"Sarcasm duly notice, dumbass." She turned her back to him. "Anyway, unzip me."

Athrun sighed. "Most guys would give anything to have a girl say that to them."

"Only the straight ones." Cagalli replied cheerfully.

"Hm." Athrun spotted the glint of metal and he tugged on the tiny green zipper gently. It didn't budge. "Hmmmm…"

"Hmmmm?" Cagalli echoed suspiciously. "Are you having perverted thoughts back there."

"Cagalli," he rolled his eyes. "I assure you, I am not having perverted thoughts about a pickle." He paused and then teased. "Are you?"

"Laugh it up, Athrun. For the moment I get out of this- you're going down."

"Why did you call me anyway?" Athrun said, stalling as he tugged fruitlessly on the zipper again. "Why not your mom or Kira?"

"You live conveniently close. Kira's out car shopping… and the last time my mom got a call from the restaurant from me things did not end we-we-we-ah choo!" her head jerked forward. "Ieeeeeew, I can't even wipe my nose! Athrun, get me out now!"

"Uh."

"Athrun?"

He yanked on the zipper hard, trying not to laugh at the predicament Cagalli was in. "Uh…Well, I'm afraid…"

"What?"

"You're stuck."

The pickle froze. "You kid?" she whispered.

"No, I don't."

Slowly the pickle bent and then flopped sidways on the sidewalk. "Kill me. Life has lost it's meaning."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You would miss our tutoring session."

"Idiot." She snapped. "Listen, my day can't get worse but yours can and I suggest if you don't help me-"

That's when she tilted…and started to roll down hill on the sidewalk towards the street. "AHHHHHHHTHRUN!" her voice squealed all the way down as her sneakers wriggled wildly in desperation. "AAATHRUUUUUUUN SAAAAVE MEEEEEEE!"

Athrun found himself chasing the run-a-way pickle, running after her.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIEEEEE!" she shrieked.

"You just asked me to kill you, idiot!" Athrun yelled, scrambling down the hill.

"I CHANGED MY MIND!"

"Mommy!" said a little girl stepping out of her car in the parkinglot just as Cagalli rolled past. "Look Mommy! It's a giant cucumber!"

"I'M A PICKLLEEEE!" came an indigent screech.

At last Athrun managed to jump over the rolling pickle and act like a road block.

"Guh!" Cagalli grunted as she slammed and bent around his legs.

"Are you alright, Cagalli?" Athrun asked. He kneeled beside her and she craned her head back to look at him through the vizor-like eyes. "Can you get up?"

She couldn't thanks to the immobility of her legs and arms. "Of course I can." She scoffed.

"Alright, then get up."

She wriggled slightly as if she was trying to roll back uphill.

Athrun grinned.

"I can't stand up." She grumbled a moment later. "Help me up."

Athrun sighed. "Sure thing, your highness." Carefully he placed his hands on her.

"That's my butt." She snapped and he quickly moved his hand up, glad she couldn't see his blush.

Once he had managed a secure hold that didn't seem to offend her, he lifted her up.

"You will not carry me to your car!" she yelped, wriggling about in his arms.

Athrun sighed. "If you don't stop moving I'm going to drop you."

"Go ahead! Drop me-EEP!"

Thump.

"Oooow! My butt! I think you broke it! There's a crack running through!"

"Real mature, Cagalli." Athrun rolled his eyes before grasping her by her shoulders and lifting her to her feet.

"Says the pervert!" she snapped before tilting her head back slightly in an haughty manner. "I can take care of my self." She sniffed and then began to hop towards Athrun's car with all the dignity of a princess and all the grace of a pickle.

Athrun followed, smirking as he took out his cellphone and began taken pictures of the absurd sight before him.

She paused outside of his car. He had driven it with the top down and he watched her struggle with trying open the door. "How ya doing over there, Cagalli."

The pickle backed up a step then with a mighty bound, hurled it's self over the door and into the car. Her sneakers stuck out over the door. "HAH!" she shrieked triumphantly, her voice slightly muffled in the seat.

"I can't believe you just did that." Athrun said, shaking his head as he got in on his side. Cagalli pulled her feet in and straightened herself up into a sitting position.

"I might have just gotten dog poop all over the side of your car." She admitted, her head bent as if she was examining her shoes.

"Thanks, Cagalli."

"Oh, you're welcome!" she replied cheerfully, all wounded ego forgotten. "I just can't wait to get out of this stupid suit."

"Niether can I, for that matter." Athrun muttered, keeping his eyes locked forward as he started the car and back out of the parkinglot. "Dear God, I'm talking to a pickle."

"Hey, you think this is easy for me?" Cagalli grumbled. "When I get my hands on Lacus-" the pickle thrashed violently side to side as if Cagalli was struggling to imitate throttling someone. "She's going to regret ever meeting me!"

OOOOOOO

"Tuckachoo!"

Kira jumped, nearly knocking over a motorcycle in his surprise. "La-Lacus?" he stammered, staring wide-eyed at the pink-haired girl behind him.

Lacus gave him an embarrassed look as she wiped her nose with a tissue. "Sorry." She mumbled, feeling herself blush a deeper shade.

"What in the world was that?"

"I had to sneeze."

"You call that a sneeze?" Kira gaped at her, wordlessly and she shrugged, embarrassed.

"It's not my most admirable feature." She admitted, smiling slightly.

"Actually," Kira smiled back. "It was kinda cute." He chortled before walking past her through the lanes of motorcycles, never pausing to notice the stunned expression on Lacus's face.

Lacus stared after her bestfriend's brother, trying to pop the balloon of euphoria that was swelling up within her.

She had been wondering spending the day with Kira would be worth hoisting today's work of all days on to Cagalli and already she knew her answer. Sure, she might be experiencing her last few hours on earth, and sure Cagalli might give her a death finale that would put all the Saw movies to shame. But Kira had called her cute. Though, then again, he had also been known to call things Cagalli did cute, simply 'cause the two were close. _He probably only views me as a second sister anyway. _Lacus sighed. _I'm probably just wasting my time._

"Oi, Lacus! Come on!"

_But then again on the other hand one should make the most of every moment. _She grinned slightly even as her cell phone began to play _Sexy and I know it, _Cagalli's ringtune, loudly at the top of it's lungs. She had forgotten to change it since Cagalli had last played around with her phone. "Wait up, I'll be there in just a second." She called as for the first time ever, she willingly let Cagalli go to voice mail.

OOOOOOOO (A/N: Den= family room)

"-And when I get my hands on you- you're going to be deader then dead! You hear me, you little pink-haired canary! Dead!" Cagalli snapped her cell phone shut with a click before turning to face Athrun.

"No answer?" he smiled sympathetically to the freshman.

"None." Cagalli muttered. "And she isn't home either." Speculation glittered in her eyes even as she placed her cellphone onto the coffeetable. "I wonder…" she glanced at the clock. "Well, it's almost five. So we might as well have the tutoring session." She glanced at him. "If you wouldn't mind waiting a moment in the den as I run upstairs to get a quick shower." She fingered her ragged, tangled blonde hair with distaste. "Got to wash the smell of playdoh out of my hair."

Athrun shrugged, unable to keep the grin off his face as he remembered how the last tutoring session had gone. "Sure."

She gave him a suspicious look before pointing at the couch where they sat. "Stay." She ordered before standing up. Shooting one last look of disgust at the lump of green on the floor- it had taken exactly twenty minutes, multiple swear words, plenty of threats and a pair of pliers later to get Cagalli out of the costume- before skipping out of the room.

He listened to her footsteps thud up the stairs and then, a few minutes later, the shower to start running.

Laying back against the couch cushions, he closed his eyes, intending to doze until she came back down. He soon found his quest inevitable as a familiar voice echoed, slightly muffled, down from the shower.

"Everyone's got a water buffalo, yours is fast but mine is slow. Oh where'd we get them I don't know, but everybody's got a water buffalo-oooooo. I took my buffalo to the store, got his head stuck in the door, spilled some lima beans on the floor-"

Athrun froze, listening, wide-eyed, unable to comprehend what else Cagalli continued to sing in her…rather off-tune voice. Unable to restrain himself, he bent over laughing and laughing at the pure ludicrous day he was having- all thanks to a certain blonde who was currently singing 'Silly songs with Larry' as she showered off the smell of playdoh that fragranced the pickle costume.

After his fit of amusement had faded, Athrun stood up, wandering up to the mantle where two big photographs were propped up, surrounded by multiple smaller ones. The big picture on the left featured a cluster of Mrs. Hibiki, someone who must be Mr. Hibiki, his arms wrapped around Mrs. Hibiki, and a brown-haired, wide-eyed baby that lay in Mrs. Hibiki's arms. It was clearly a fancy picture, by the gray-blue backdrop and the fancy clothes they all wore, but if love could be frozen, it would be that picture. Athrun smiled sadly, feeling slightly nostalgic. You wouldn't find pictures like these in any home of his.

The second picture still featured three people but the characters were different. Mrs. Hibiki stood in the middle with a brown-haired boy around seven, who had his arms wrapped around her right leg. In her arms she supported a chubby blonde whose thumb had made it into her mouth and whose amber eyes were wide as they stared somberly at the camera. The Cagalli in the picture had to be around two or three, considering the three year age difference with Kira but that is not what Athrun paid attention to. His brow was furrowed as he studied the picture that contained no fatherly presence. In fact, the whole house around him seemed to lack fatherly presence. All the small pictures on the left of the two main pictures seemed to feature Kira's child hood growing up with Mr. Hibiki and Mrs. Hibiki. But then, on the right, all the picture's of Cagalli growing up only ever showed her, and either Mrs. Hibiki and Kira. It was like, somewhere in between Kira and Cagalli's births, Mr. Hibiki had disappeared.

Had he left? Perhaps did he die?

"Athrun?" Cagalli's voice broke through his thoughts, and Athrun swallowed, swinging about to face the curious blonde. He hoped he wouldn't look as guilty as he felt, as he had tried to mentally pry open the secrets of her family.

She blinked at him, not seeming to notice the new way he regarded her, as if she was more fragile then she let one believe. "Athrun, the doorbell's been ringing."

"Oh." For someone who thought he could be intuitive, he was also pretty dense to have not notice the tinkling sound of the bell.

He followed Cagalli to the door where she opened it to reveal a tall police officer, with a burly mustache, as all stereo typical cops must have.

"Miss Cagalli Hibiki?" The officer said slowly, tugging his cap down slightly over his head.

"Yes?" Cagalli said, confused.

The cop glanced over her shoulder at Athrun who stood at Cagalli's side, Athrun's green eyes narrowed watchfully and he inched closer to Cagalli.

"I'm afraid there's been some trouble." He cleared his throat.

Oh dear Lord." Cagalli went pale. "Don't tell me…Chewie…" she shook her head wordlessly.

The cop cleared his throat again. "Actually," he said slowly, as if the idea came to him as a surprise as well. "It's not Chewie."

"Well there's a first-" then Cagalli stiffened. "You don't mean…Kira?" Athrun had to hide a soft chuckle as he watched Cagalli's face. It seemed as if she wasn't sure whether or not to be delighted or horrified at the thought of her brother in jail.

"No, ma'am. I mean you."

**I have a tendency to make long chapters the more time I have to write. I never start a chapter with a particular end in sight. Nor a goal as to what I want accomplished. I just know the plot of my story so I sit down, stare at the computer and think of random things until something gives me a jumpstart on the chapter. For example, this chapter was made off of Veggie Tales and a strange conversation I had with a friend a week ago that had nothing to do with pickles. There we were discussing something serious over the phone, well, she was talking about something serious, and I wasn't listening to her 'cause I was reading some Maximum Ride fanfiction, when she paused as if waiting for an answer to a question. Well, I had no idea what she had last said so I just said the first thing that popped into my head which happened to be "Is that a pickle?"**

**It was the most clever distraction I had ever come up with 'cause my friend started laughing at the ludicrousness of it while I mentally patted myself on the back for a job well done. Sigh, I don't even like pickles…**

**Anyway, so what did you think? Yay or Nay?**

**Fyi, the Romeo and Juliet Play does have a significant part to this little gig I'm trying to run. Though I won't have the auditions for a few chapters, y'all are welcome to guess who is going to be playing Romeo, Juliet, Paris, and Rosalind. I'll even tell you if you're right or wrong and send you a cyber cookie. (It's the thought that counts, right?) By the way, anyone can audition, not just those who were back stage at the time in this chapter.**

**Okay, I'm done writing. -.- It's 1:30 in the morning and I have to be up at seven for a band concert, not to mention I'm sick -.-**

**Why did I think it was such a great idea to finish writing this chapter tonight instead of tomorrow during the day?**

**Oh that's right, 'cause I'm an idiot who has no life.**

**Sleep- how it beckons to me. Any moment the Sandman will come to sprinkle some of his stupid pixie dust in my face so I'll think of a happy thought and go to sleep and probably develop a stupid allergy to his pixie dust.**

**Happy thought. Happy thought.**

**Ahhh, I hope the Sandman has the decency to look like Tom Welling or Orlando Bloom u.u**

**Yup, that did it. Don't get much happier then that.**

**Night y'all!**

**And don't forget to leave a review for me to wake up to :)**

**HAPPY EASTER!**

**Azetta**


	6. 6: In Which there is a Water Buffalo in

So I saw this one amazing authoress doing this thing where she pulled a "Comment of the Week" sorta thing and I decided that I wanted to try that :D So here's your warning, if you leave me a super interesting review, i will be posting it on the chapter :D

Just a note- responses to reviews will be at the **BOTTOM** of this chapter. Thanks :D

**Comment of the Week:** Yennefer:" Best moment: "-It's a giant cucumber! -I'm a pickle!". I think you had sniff too many of your dog breath ;P (Look! It's a bird! No, it's a plane! No, it's a GIANT PICKLE! A new hero is born."

A big shout out of **thanks** to everyone who Reviewed- YOU GUYS ROCK MY WORLD :D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gundam Seed, nor do I own "Chewie" the type of dog we have all met at one point or another in our lives :)

Continuing from the previous chapter :)

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

**Chapter Six: In which there is a Water Buffalo in the room.**

"And…that's how it ended." Tolle shrugged, hands jammed in his pockets as he shuffled down the street along side his fellow journalist.

Fingers eagerly fiddling with her camera as always, Miriallia cocked her head to the side and gave an elegant. "Huh, that really blows."

Tolle raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Really? You picked up on that too? Before or after she broke up with me?"

Miriallia grinned, unapologetic for her blunt nature. "Well, you said that you guys weren't working out…" her logical voice spoke honestly. "And you're young- and sometimes if you get too tied up in the bad things that happen in life, the right- oooh!" Quick as a flash she was gone and Tolle looked confusedly after her as her brown head bobbed through the crowd milling through the mall.

"Miriallia!" he called, giving chase. "Miriallia, wait up!" After pushing and shoving his way through the crowd he found himself standing before an arcade and he took a step back in surprise. Peering about, he couldn't at first find his elusive comrade until he heard;

"Noooo… they BUTCHERED him!"

Navigating through the maze of arcade games he found Miriallia, nose pressed to the glass of a claw-and-prize game, staring in horror at a yellow stuffed animal that looked as if it had seen it's fair share of the inside of a dog's mouth.

"Miriallia, what's wrong?" Tolle asked tentatively.

Wordless in seeing her childhood crushed before her eyes, Miriallia gestured to the clear capsule in which a yellow discombobulated stuff animal was stashed in the far corner.

"My God…" Tolle's eyebrows raised as he evaluated the damage done on the once electric mouse pokemon. "They killed Pikachu."

And so they had. For someone had taken the eyes, nose, and mouth of a Raggedy-Anne Doll, and sowed it onto the Pikachu's and it was a truly horrific sight. And now the doomed creature smiled up eerily at them from where it was wedged between a few other capsules.

"This wrong must be fixed!" Determidly, Miriallia dug her wallet out, intent on saving the Pikachu from whatever fate it had been delivered.

Five dollars later proved that Miriallia was no closer to saving it than Ash was to becoming Pokémon Master.

"Darn you!" she kicked the vendor only to wince. "I won't forget this." She added, sniffling slightly. After securing a picture with her camera of the "helpless victim", she and Tolle continued their stroll through the mall.

"Are you always like that?" Tolle chuckled.

Miriallia nodded, still casting lingering glances over her shoulder in the direction of the claw-and-prize. "Yeah… my friends think I'm a nerd. They're right. My one friend," a faint smile crossed her face. "tries to work it to his advantage by using Pokémon pick up lines on me." She laughed softly at the memory of a blonde boy screaming "I CHOOSE YOU!" at the top of his lungs down a hall way of their school one day. It warmed her heart for a flash to remember how when they were younger Dearka had nicknamed her after the water pokemon, Merill, calling her 'Merilla'.

"That's pretty funny." Tolle smiled, glancing at the brunette at his side from time to time and comparing her to the memory of another girl who would walk at his side a while ago. "But you never got done what you were saying earlier."

"Oh?" Puzzled, Miriallia pondered that for a moment, thinking hard as she tried to recatch their strand of conversation. "Oh! Of course! Now I remember!"

"mhm?" Tolle smiled encouragingly, snaring her hand to keep her from walking past him as he snagged an empty bench in the middle of the mall. "Go on." He added, patting the space beside him as he sat down.

Miriallia neatly sat beside him, ankles crossed and back straight as her sparkling eyes met his. "If you get wrapped in the past- the right person might just slip right through your fingers."

**^_^_^_^_^_^ Now let's see what Dearka's up to ^_^_^_^_^_^**

"Dearka…"

"Shhhh." The blonde whispered back to his 'date' as he peered through a pair of tiny plastic binoculars, that he had won from an arcade game earlier in the day.

"Dearka."

"Not now, Mey!" he hissed back, his eyes never leaving his targets. His free hand was positioned over his nose to help muffle the overly rich smell of perfume that clouded the air and made one gag to breathe.

"Dearka! The saleslady is giving us a funny look- is this really the best look out spot?" a beet-red Meyrin cried as she unsuccessfully tried to pull Dearka away from the lace-covered mannequin that was posing in the front of the lingerie store. They had been there for about twenty minutes, watching Miriallia and the boy, Tolle, chat together on a picnic bench inside the mall. And twenty minutes of loitering between a mannequin's legs seemed good enough to Meyrin.

Dearka allowed himself a quick moment to glance at the Barbie-look-alike at the register who was, in fact, giving him funny looks. Too late did he realize his grave, and embarrassing mistake. He hadn't been paying attention when he darted behind the mannequin to hide, nor did it occur to him that putting the binoculars through the legs of the scantily clad mannequin and then peering through from there would be considered, ah, _questionable_.

"Hey you two, I'm going to have to ask you to leave!" The lady called sternly, her fake black eye lashes so long that they practically grazed her eyebrows as they dipped down to form a scowl.

"Oh shoot!" he yelped, glancing back at his quarry- Tolle had slid closer to Miriallia on the bench, closing the few of distance between their forms. His head went up, colliding painfully with the lacey-clothed mannequin above him. "Oh, shoot!" he said again, one hand massaging his sore head, and the other helping him haul backwards as the mannequin teetered dangerously on it's pedestal.

It was a moment he would never forget, as the world slowed down, and the wobbling plastic model swung like an upside down pendulum, and his eyes moved from side to side following its careening body.

Then it hit the mannequin next to it.

Who in turn, slowly fell and hit the mannequin beside it.

A domino of lace and shiny plastic ensued with plenty of crashing sounds as the entire store window lane of mannequins fell one, by one, by one over and on to the ground.

Dearka and Meyrin froze- actually, just about everybody in hearing distance froze, staring openmouthed at the destruction sight surrounding the two gaping teens. This included Miriallia and Tolle who were right across from them outsides the store.

"My life…is over." Meyrin whispered. "Darling, I believe this is the end of us as we know it."

Dearka, who was still struggling with shock, watched in horror as Miriallia's brow furrowed and she stood- advancing slowly towards them. Gingerly he put his arm around his pink-haired accomplice and said. "Together till the end, love. If anyone asks; you're my fiancée. We were lingerie shopping for the big night together." Only after he glanced at Meyrin did he realize that his 'girlfriend' looked about ready to swoon. The girl who never got attention had just received a little too much and was practically in Dearka's arms, as tremors wracked her pale body.

Clearing his throat, Dearka turned his back on the bewildered Miriallia to face the clerk who looked like she wanted to strangle him with the leopard print thong in her hands. "We'll take, um, that lingerie set, please." Dearka said slowly, gesturing vaguely in a fallen mannequin's direction. He felt like he was holding onto a vibrating life sized phone as Meyrin trembled.

"I oughta-" the woman began just as her manager- whose fur-decorated outfit Dearka was sure he had seen being modeled at 'Pimps R' Us!"- stepped out and bellowed.

"Who did this?!"

_Oh crap- there goes my college tuition. _Dearka thought, opening his mouth to admit the truth and cast all blame from Meyrin.

"I am so sorry!" a familiar female voice said.

Dearka and Meyrin swung around to gape at Miriallia and Tolle who were carefully picking their way through the debris of pink and white lace. It amused Dearka more then it probably should to watch Tolle get tripped by a bra strap.

"Excuse me?" the manager demanded.

Miriallia waved her camera in answer, grinning bashfully. "Well, you see sir. My friends and I are writing a cover-piece on your store for our fashion magazine. I was positioning my camera from outsides and my friend here," she gestured to Dearka who was still as stiff as…well… a mannequin. "Was helping me find the right angle and-" she continued to prattle on happily for a few minutes about photography, leaving Dearka behind in the dust.

"What is she saying?" Meyrin asked confused.

"I don't know." Dearka said back. "It doesn't seem like English though."

English or not, whatever she was saying seemed to impress the manager for by the time she was done her explanation the man's chest had puffed out like a peacock and the clerk was looking considerably warmer. This fact was more than obvious as she began twirling the thong around her finger casually, winking warmly at Dearka who marveled over the fact that her top eye lashes didn't get stuck to her bottom; they were so thick with mascara.

"Well then, I s'pooose we can ignore this little accident. It's not that big of a deal. Just gotta pick up the mannequins after all." To demonstrate, the manager leant over and hauled a mannequin upright.

_Phew. _Dearka thought, gazing relieved at the smiling white mannequin. His relief turned to horror as the head tilted, fell off and landed with a thunk on the ground, where it's smile leered back up at the group standing there.

There was a short silence in which they all stared down at the smiling head and then Tolle drawled. "Well, we got our piece done. You'll be hearing word from us sooner or later." He threaded his arm through Miriallia's- Dearka bit his lip, feeling Meyrin's concerned gaze on him as he followed the pair in front of him out of the store. Hardly had they exited the mall when Miriallia swung on him.

"What in the Honan region was that?" Miriallia cried.

Dearka exchanged a shrug with Meyrin who seemed to be playing peekaboo in his armpit as she snuggled against him under his protective arm.

Taking in the sight of them did Miriallia suddenly realize something. "Oh my hoho-"

"Okay, Mir, did you get enough Pokemon references in?" Dearka rolled his eyes sarcastically, trying not to let the bitterness he felt inside leak into his voice.

"Dude, there could never be enough Pokemon references. Got to respect the classics." Tolle grinned, shoulder bumping Miriallia who, distracted, smiled for a split second. Dearka, who could tolerate Yzak on his worst days, suddenly found himself irritated for the first time ever.

"Right." Dearka said, his gaze boring in to Miriallia's.

"What?" she said innocently. "He's right! What would this world be with out the love and friendship that Pokemon was all about?"

_Well, I wouldn't have to worry so much about Tolle, for one thing. _Dearka brooded before saying. "So, we're going to go now,"

"Wait," Miriallia grabbed him by the forearm. Her gaze met Meyrin's gently. "I always thought it was for show- but I guess it's true?"

"Huh?" Meyrin and Dearka cocked their heads toward eachother, completely lost as Miriallia grinned at them.

"You guys love eachother!"

_Like hell we do! _Dearka and Meyrin, unknowingly, thought in perfect unison, trying to keep their sickly sweet smiles plastered across their faces.

"Yup." Dearka said.

"You caught us." Meyrin said.

Something dark flickered in Miriallia's eyes for a moment and she seemed to hesitate before beaming. "You two are like Brock and Nurse Joy. Finally brought together at last."

"Did she stop speaking English again?" Meyrin whispered, watching her friend's friend with concern. Dearka shook his head.

Elbowing Mir gently, Tolle broke in, a teasing glint in his eyes as he took Mir's hand in his. "Just a few minutes ago you were telling me Brock was meant to be with Misty."

Dearka's irritation with the young man increased. Not many people could understand Miriallia's curious view on the world, and the fact that Tolle not only understood it but shared it, really got on Dearka's nerves.

Interrupting before Mir could reply, Dearka said. "Well, I think Meyrin and I had enough excitement for one day. Come on, M'rin." He turned sharply, not pausing for Miriallia's and Tolle's farewells as he led Meyrin back to where he had parked his truck.

Hardly had they got on the road when Meyrin let loose the banshee within.

"My…GOD! Dearka- what, why, ohmyGodohmyGodwhatintheworld wasthat?!" she buried her face into her palms with a wail of "My life is over!" Dearka gritted his teeth, clenching the steering wheel tightly in his hands.

Tremors wracked her and he glanced at her in concern as she fell silent.

"Me-" he began only to see her face tilt up, looking like the color had been sucked from it.

"I have a boyfriend. I have a boyfriend." She repeated, a look of wonder on her face. "Dearka, I'm dating you!" she flopped back against her seat, looking stunned. "Why am I dating you? When…did…this happen?"

"A few minutes ago." Dearka hesitated. "Sorry. You… didn't really get a choice…"

The tension swept from her body like a blanket whose wrinkles had been shaken out and Meyrin sighed, curling into a ball in her seat. The shyness she wore like a cloak of protection fell around her once more as she muttered. "Dearka, I'm not dating you."

Dearka rolled his eyes. "You aren't really, doll-face."

"Oh, yeah." She closed her eyes for a moment as if to fall asleep only to bolt upright and cry. "Dearka- what was this whole day about?!"

"Huh?" Dearka jumped, startled. "I'm driving!" he yelped.

"That's not an excuse to not answer me! You called me, during soccer practice, to ask for my help in stalking Miriallia and somehow we ended up in a relationship because of it." She paused, adding thoughtfully. "Not that I mind, beloved, but before our love has always been a thing of dreams. For it to be in real life-" a shudder ran through her. "Luna's going to murder me." Her voice dry.

Dearka chuckled bemusedly. Yes, Luna probably would. No, mentioning that would probably not be a comfort.

Especially because she would castrate Dearka in a heart beat.

"I am sorry, dearest." He murmured soothingly. The cadence of language exchanged between the two was bizarre and overly lovey-dovey to the outside eye. Really it was just a pretense between two people. A girl who sought love but could not find, and a boy who never looked for it and so never noticed how ensared he was in it. They were eachother's shields. Friends bound by a bond none of the others could quite understand. One of which they barely understood themselves.

"Alright, I'll be frank, Dearka." Meyrin said timidly, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "This whole relationship thing to make Mir jealous. It's going to be awkward…"

For hardly a split moment, Dearka found himself nodding in agreement only then to realize what she had said.

The car dangerous swerved for a moment as his mind went numb. "'make Mir jealous'?! WHAT?!" he gaped at the younger girl beside him like a fish out of water.

Meyrin edged closer to the door, clutching her seat belt nervously. "The street, Dearka. The street. I know I swore 'till death do us part' but this was not what I meant."

Dearka's head snapped back around. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"Well," Meyrin began carefully. "This is all because of Miriallia and that boy 'Tolle' right?"

"What? Noooo." Dearka shook his head. "Not at all."

Confusion filled Meyrin's gaze though Dearka couldn't see. "Huh? So…you…_don't like her?"_

Dearka gaped wordlessly.

**xDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxD xDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxD xDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxD**

"Hey kid," Shiho smiled gingerly as she stepped into the little girl's ward.

The brown haired girl's eyes lit up and she shrieked. "You came!"

"We both did." Meer announced, one hand still rubbing her arm where a distinct hand shape, roughly the size of Shiho's hand, was still fading.

"Though for some it was a smoother trip." Shiho smiled brilliantly, her eyes a cold glare on Meer. "And," she added, reaching into her plain brown satchel. "We brought stickers!"

Even Meer couldn't resist the smile that spread across her face when the little girl's eyes lit up and her mouth formed a small "O" of delight.

"Glow in the dark stickers?" she squealed, glancing at the nurse for permission before kicking off her blankets and throwing herself onto the floor where she scrambled up to her peers. "Oh my gosh! There's so many!" she splayed her little hands on the sheet, staring awestruck at the flowers, stars, animals, dinosaurs, hearts and everything imaginable.

"And I brought nail polish." Meer added, proud to contribute and unable to resist the happiness the girl shined with. She pulled out the numerous bottles of pink and blue and purples hues that glittered and sparkled inside their bottles.

The girl clapped her hands together, quivering with excitement.

The nurse smiled affectionately over her shoulder. "Your new friends can stay for an hour, but no more, Mew." As she walked past she ruffled her ward's hair. "Be good."

Mew waved goodbye to her nurse before turning to her smilling audience. "Stickers!" she said. "No no, wait, nails…" she bit her lip and then said slowly. "Both?"

"Mew, is that your name?" Shiho checked as she smoothed the blankets on the bed and took a seat. 'Mew' nodded eagerly before bounding up to take a seat beside her, padding the empty space on her left for Meer.

"Yup. Or at least part of it," Mew confided, eyes sparkling.

"Well I'm Shiho." Shiho held out her hand and Mew solemnly shook it.

"And I'm Meer." Meer hastily added, exchanging the same greeting.

Nodding, Mew asked gravely. "Are you two best friends?"

"Er." Grey eyes met amethyst eyes as the two teenagers weighed each other's worth to the little girl's hopes.

"Oh totally!" Meer nodded furiously.

"Of course!" Shiho said.

_Psych! _They thought.

"Oh good." Mew relaxed with a sigh. "Friends are important, you see." She told them seriously. "They'll always be there for you just like you two will be for eachother."

_Oh Lord, she's smart for a little girl. _Shiho thought after exchanging a look of horror over Mew's head with Meer.

"Or at least, that's what my mommy would say." Mew shrugged.

"Your mom sounds very smart." Meer said kindly.

"Oh, she is. The smartest of the smart. Sometimes I think she had esp."

"'Esp'." Shiho repeatedly slowly, confused.

"Esp. E-S-P. Esp. It's a good word cause it's short and only has three letters." Mew explained. "It means she had the power to tell when I had been eating cookies with out asking."

Shiho choked on a snort of amusement and Meer coughed, both struggling not to laugh.

Wiping her eyes, Meer asked. "Alright, Mew, what color would you like?"

"All of them!"

"All of them?"

"Yes! Rain bow nails! Give me stripes! Rainbow zebra stripes!" Mew demanded.

Helplessly, Meer gazed pleadingly at Shiho. "Um, Shiho?"

Fighting her giggles, Shiho shook her head and stood up, stretching. "Nope, couldn't give zebra stripes even if I tried." Turning to Mew she said. "Alright, Meer will paint your nails and you can point with your other hand at the wall where you want your stickers."

"Those are the removable ones, right?" Meer checked and Shiho nodded.

"Everywhere!" Mew exclaimed, throwing her hands out, smacking Meer in the face as she did. Meer let out a squeal- probably more horrified that her lipstick might have been mussed rather then the pain – and Mew giggled. Shiho smirked to herself as she peeled stickers off the sheets, watching as Mew laughed at the morose Meer- she had found an ally in the little one.

**;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)**

It was an accident. Really.

"You killed him!"

"No I di- I mean, I didn't mean to!"

"He's dead! The little baby is dead!"

"I didn't see him!"

"Kira Hibiki- you are… are… mean!" Lacus wailed, absolutely red in the face as she cradled the mangled furry body of a tiny bunny in her arms.

Helplessly, Kira threw up his hands in the air in defeat. There was just no winning where Lacus was concerned.

"Poor bunny." She sniffled, smoothing the fur of the creature. Kira sighed and looked back at his used motorcycle he had just gotten. _This is a really…really…bad sign. I can tell. _He thought moodily. _I mean I just get this thing, I'm hardly home, and already I kill something? Oh Lord. Lacus won't let this go. _He winced looking back at the pink haired girl. _She might not kill me… But Cagalli will._

Unaware of her friend's brother organizing his Will, Lacus squealed excitedly. "He's alive! Alive!"

Kira jumped, hopping over to look over her shoulder. She frowned at him.

"What?"

"Last time you came near him you half killed him. Please don't finish the job."

"Oh come on, Lacus."

Lacus hesitated before relenting and holding up the small white-furred, red-eyed bunny. It's nose was twitching slightly as it blinked at them, ears alert.

"Maybe you didn't hit it." She murmured. Examining it's twisted leg showed that the leg didn't seem to cause the bunny any pain. "Must be a past injury that it's had for a while." She smiled. "You are such a sweet sweet wild bunny."

"Um, Lacus, that thing might have rabies." Kira tugged at her arm. "Now put the wild dangerous bunny down."

"No." Lacus said determinedly. Then she held the bunny up, like Simba from the _Lion King_, and declared. "Your name shall be Mr. Pink and you will be my fuzzy bunny, the cutest bunny in the world."

Kira sighed and then stiffened as the 'Cutest Bunny in the world' turned it's head and fixed him with a beady-eyed stare. As Lacus cuddled the creature, an ominous chill ran down his spine and he knew, knew with out a doubt, that Mr. Pink… had to disappear. Soon.

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

It was a dark room, not much bigger then a walk-in closet with a tiny table crammed in the center and two chairs on either side. The ceiling light was dim and cobwebs clung to it casting strange shadows upon the four people in the room.

The silence, gloomy, was at last broken by a feminine voice. "I'll be honest, Mr. Cop, I'm really disappointed in this interrogation room, it doesn't look anything like the ones on TV." Cagalli let out a huff, crossing her arms as her eyes traveled around the room skeptically. "I mean, come _ooon_ this place is tiny- Meer's bra fits more-"

The bluehaired man beside her, coughed, startled, his face flushing slightly though the two cops across from them exchanged confused looks.

"And not to mention- where is the two way mirror? This can not be called an interrogation room if there isn't a two way mirror with people watching me on the other side." The blonde was slightly nervous and she blabbered on trying to ease the tense atmosphere as she racked her brain trying to think what she might have done _this time_.

Her brother and her had a reputation already with a good deal of the cops in there are from disturbing the peace to accidently burning down the chemistry lab at the highschool (which was a complete accident, just saying). In fact she knew all the blue-bloods by name and Mr. Hawke, Meyrin's Dad, who sat directly across from her was on friendly terms with them and she had nicknamed the serious, broad-shouldered, and burly-mustached gent as simply "Mr. Cop".

However, the man sitting next to him- buff and silent with a glower to rival the grim reaper (though ,does the grim reaper have a glower considering he has no eyes?) – was unfamiliar not to mention a state trooper

_What would they call a state trooper in for? It must have been something really bad… Oh no- the pickle costume! I STOLE THE PICKLE! Wait, that can't be it. That's hardly a serious offense- I mean, if I showed them the costume…_

_Oh._

_Crap... _

_I broke the costume. _

_But what they don't know that… Besides, I technically did that restaurant a favor- they wouldn't believe how many children that I made cry in that costume…_

"So…" Cagalli nervously drummed her fingers. "What am I here for?"

Slowly the statetrooper pulled out something from a bag by his feet. The object was in a crinkled, clear plastic bag like the ones they put evidence in. "Ma'am, do you recognize this? We found it in your locker."

It was a knife. And it was stained.

Cagalli blushed a furious red which drew Athrun's stunned gaze. "Now- this isn't what it looks like." She muttered, a bright red blush staining her cheeks.

"Oh?"

"Cagalli…" Athrun whispered, looking back at the knife. The red stained looked just like…blood.

"That isn't what you guys think it is- I have a perfectly sound explanation." She coughed. "I woke up late for school and 'cause I wanted to save time I just stacked up bacon and put the knife through it and ate it on the way to school. Then I brought it in cause I wanted to wash it but I forgot that it was in my locker."

The visual of image of Cagalli sitting on a bus, munching bacon off the end of a very long, very pointy knife filled Athrun's head and he shook it in exasperation.

"Hmmmm. Well, young lady, you shouldn't be bring knives into school period. Do this again and you will be suspended. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Cagalli sheepishly accepted the knife from him, carefully holding it by the end. "But, sir, is that all?"

The state trooper and Mr. Hawke exchanged an uncomfortable look. A minute passed and then the statetrooper revealed one last thing; a small, black object with numerous wires sticking out of it. Carefully he placed it in the center of the table. "How about this, Miss Hibiki?" His tone flat, his eyes cold.

"Um…" Cagalli exchanged a nervous glance with Athrun. His green eyes, warm and steady on hers, sent a wave of reassurance and she thanked God that he was with her then. _I'm so glad he's here. I would be pretty freaked out if he wasn't. He's been so calm- I wonder how he does that? Probably cause he's older or whatever… but Kira isn't really like that at times- it must be just Athrun. So calm. And yet… _Athrun's hand knocked hers lightly under the table and Cagalli's eyes widened slightly as he smiled comfortingly and gave her fingers a tiny squeeze. Her nervousness washed away she took a deep breath to respond, her thoughts thrumming. _And yet, so _alive_- I kinda like that._ "I have no idea what that is."

Mr. Hawke didn't seem surprised but he smiled slightly at the stoic resolve of the young blonde. Curiously, he glanced again at the blue-haired boy who had identified himself as a close friend of Cagalli's. Dark green eyes met his and he blinked in surprise at the unwavering expression of protectiveness those narrowed eyes carried. With out a doubt, he knew then, that Athrun did care for Cagalli, more then the blonde might realize and even more Athrun himself might know.

"You're sure?"

"Yes." Cagalli answered clearly. "Can you please tell me what this is about?"

"Ma'am, can you think of anyone who might… want to hurt you?"

Cagalli's brow crinkled and she glanced between the cops before shaking her head. "No- not that I'm aware of." Checking for confirmation she glanced at Athrun, forgetting that he had just moved there not too long ago.

Athrun shrugged, just as bewildered as her, before studying the object again. "What is it?" he asked, his voice low and very serious.

The Statetrooper hardly paid him a moment's of attention. "The school performed a locker search today- apparently you weren't there because you had to leave early for something?"

Cagalli's eye twitched slightly. _Darn pickle is ruining my life. "_Yessir, I was filling in for someone at their work, you can call the owner to double check." _Oh wait., no don't do that!_

"Well we found this in your locker rigged to the door so that on opening the locker this would be activated."

Athrun, already having figured out what the object was froze, his hand once more finding Cagalli's and clenching it tightly.

Cagalli glanced at him, confused, trying to wriggle her hand free from the tight grasp he had while trying not to blush in front of the stern cops. "Um, so some sort of practical joke?"

"This is not a practical joke. Thankfully the person who had set it up had missed hooking a wire and no one was hurt when opening your locker to perform the examination and we completed deactivating it."

Cagalli's arm went slack. "What? What do you mean 'no one was hurt'… you mean someone could have been?" Horror shone on her face. "What are you talking about? What is that thing? It couldn't be a…" the air seeped from her lungs and her voice faded to a gasp, as she slumped back in her seat- the color sucked from her skin.

"I'm afraid so, ma'am. This is a bomb. Someone tried to kill you."

**:O :O :O :O :O**

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The plot thickens! :3

I hope you drop a review :)

RS

**Replies: **

******Sake-hime: **Did that surprise you ;P Not exactly what y'all thought she was going to jail for, yes?

**asucagafan : **nope, thank YOU, you guys are the reason i write :)

**Cagallifangurl: **Haha, to be honest, i have no idea if things are funny when i write them :P I just write variations of things that have happened in my life and then exaggerate it a little. But i must be doing sooomething right which is good huh ? Ironically enough, there's no Chewie in this chapter which is, yes, very depressing. -.- And did that surprise you as to why the cops were after her ;)

**asucagafan- **sure thing ;)

**WritingKightmare- **If you had been there the week I wrote that chapter, you would understand why I wrote about the pickle chapter -.- And i borrowed your title idea and varied it a little :D And ketchup and mustard are gross enough by themselves ... :P Btw, you got Romeo right :)

**Lilith59-**Yeah, well, Cagalli is an exception ;P btw, I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say "Chewie is an armor" ?

**elgnis berserker- **I knoooow! :D Shiho and Yzak- squeeee! And Yup, all students are allowed to. And ahhahah, believe me, i had to draw a picture of Cagalli in a pickle suit before I could imagine it -.- hahahahha

**Meyrin-x-ZAFT girl - **To be honest, the more I write Dearka and Meyrin, the more I want them together as bestfriends. You're right, they are a perfect combination of intro and extrovert. I really enjoy the combination they make, so writing the above scene of them both in a lingerie shop was a lot of fun- i feel like it's just the beginning for them :D And well, that's kinda why everyone has a story to them. Because, isn't that how it is with all people? We judge them, but we don't know them. AND PINK WOULD BE THE NEW BLONDE! xD

**Yennefer- **bahahahhaha xD and by the way, you got Juliet right ;) and I'm actually not very well verse in Shakespeare... I feel like I'm going to butcher him by accident but oi vey -.- Reading the play of Romeo and Juliet had me so tempted to pull up Google Translate and try to translate shakespeare ;) :D

**xoxodork - **I didn't in fact. I was afraid that i would wake up and there would be a person standing by my bed, one hand held out to shake mine as they say "Hi, I'm xoxodork, your. new. best. friend." :P yup, chills ;P I'll be stealing that dog moment for my next chapter actually. :D After all the excitement in this chapter, I think we deserve some Chewie cuteness :D And by all means, tell me all your crazy dog stories :D BTW, have you ever put peanut butter on your dog's nose? It's the meanest thing in the world you can do, but for a minute it's also hilarious :D Btw, my dog sings when my brother plays his violin -.- hahahah she's so cute :)

**y****ou are awesome - **awww. thank you :) I must be doing something right then :)

**apparentdaydreamer - **you are seriously the sweetest person ever, not gonna lie. Melt me inside every time I see your reviews :) so thank YOU :)

**asucagafan- **Thank youuuu :) hahahaha, had to pay respect to my childhood with the waterbuffalo part ;) Who knows, maybe i'll be having some more veggie tales references in the future... ;)

**Sandyx5 - **I have no idea how to write Shizak... -.- hahahahah I'm just free flying with alllll of them XD BUT OMG Miriallia and Dearka- gonna have so much fun with them it's rediculous lol... They weren't on a date- though one of them woulda loved that idea ;) Lacus was helping Kira find his dream motorcycle. :D

**Fate Camiswhil- **So i have had a long day day of malfunctioning technology... hahahha, first i accidentally deleted alllll of my documents in my computer and they didn't go to my recycle bin cuz it was full... So it was a long day of trying to recover them. Thankfully I did (WHA HOO). and then I kinda almost broke my kindle tablet thingy =.= OH! AND I BROKE MY IPOD... with shampoo... -.- I want to cry :'( hahahahha Dude, I was trying to read through Tangled Fates the other day (Cause...I *Cough* kinda lost my inspiration for it, and was trying to pick up the thread) and wow...wooooow. I really really really REALLY need to re write it -.- It's rather embarrassing in fact, lol and yup, Po is the red one :D and puh-leeze, i adore how you write Athrun :D talk about awesome :)

**moi - **I do admit, that I was going occ with Kira- I'll be honest, he and Lacus are characters i struggle to write because I can't relate to them. As to everyone seeming to have a troubled past- I can't really go into depth about it, but not everyone that you think has one does. Some characters I do allude to them have troubled pasts...but... they don't. like I said, can't go into it ;P Also, I am trying to make a point about judgement in this story. We all judge people before we get to know them, but everyone has a story of a kind. So, yup. Some metaphorical stuff going on here too, at least, i hope there is O.o probably isn't. hahahha , but thank you so much for that review :D IT really meant a lot to hear some honest critique :)

**IgNighted- **A Shakespeare fan? ...uhoh O.o I'm in trouble... hahaha, I should apologize beforehand but there's a high chance of me, cough, butchering Shakespeare. Verrrry high chance... you might hate me for it -.- hahaha and yeah, well, tbh, in the animes Meer did bug me at some points, ...many points... but... she was a funny oddball in her own right... And she had a sad story to her. *shrug* so, voila. hahaha


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